A Toad of A Questionable Species

Cass had heard a backhanded comment when she dropped her butterbeer all the way down the ratty speaking woman's coat. It honestly wasn't her fault she couldn't take a drink seriously. Drinks made her dizzy. Might have been because before every sip she'd take a deep breath and not let another in or out until she'd finished the entire thing. But that was how she drank and that was how it had been for a while now. Habit rules.

But now, she was in a bit of a quandary. The animal in front of her was definitely of amphibious origin. She was sure about that because it was green and it was slimy. Thus, amphibian. She thinks.

And now it's making her worry a little. Because she's always seen him as a frog. Bradley always croaks and moans if she says anything else and if anyone else questions it- he usually flips a lilypad. But... that woman had either a well placed snide tongue, or knew how to get under people's skin. Or frog's skin.

"Do you think you're a frog, Bradders?" she asks whispering. If anything, Bradley should know what he is. It's like asking Cass if she knows she's a witch or not (the only thing being would you call yourself a witch if you didn't have a wand? She isn't so sure of that yet) and her shrugging.

Skyler had sat at the bar of the Leaky Cauldron drinking her butterbeer and watching a rather curious scene unfold in front of her. Or rather, behind her, considering most people sat facing the bar, but she was more inclined to people watch. Therefore, sat facing the opposite way. And it was because of this she caught the scene involving a girl, who Skyler would guess to be around her own age, a hag of a woman, and interesting enough, a frog. Or was it a toad? Skyler couldn't tell really from her spot, but it had to be one or the other.

Looking down to her own pet in her lap, Skyler gave the white puppy a scratch behind the ears. Skyler had pinpointed the pit bull puppy as soon as she laid eyes on her, and though the puppy was quite the handfull, Skyler was happy with her new companion. No sooner had she thought this though, then Pearl seemed to pick up a scent of some sort, and with a small bark and sudden leap, she was out of Skyler's hands and scampering over to the girl with the....frog-toad-thing.

Grinning inspite of herself as Pearl got to the pair and sniffed before barking at the table, Skyler made her way over leisurely. It wasn't like the girls' pet was in any kind of danger from the puppy anyways. Pearl was far to small at the moment to reach the top of the table. Scooping up her puppy, Skyler offered the girl a grin. "Puppies. Menaces with a cute face."

Bradley was just about to croon a reply when he started to ribbet quite loudly, his eyes bulging.
He must be in danger!
Cass crossed her legs, bringing her bag with it's strap tied on to her ankle into her lap.
"Get in and tell me all about it later," she says exasperatedly. Cass swishes her head to scape a 360 degree view of the pub. Usually it's animals that he doesn't like. Male animals. Females he could swoon and woo all day. Wall... table... wall... butterbeer...bag...dog... dog?

And a girl following it looks staunchly out of the crowd. Ah. She looks like a first year.
Cass' face drops into a toothy grin.

"You can say that again," says Cass. Bradley's shaking. Silly sausage. "So, does he want to add a condiment to Bradley? Or is his next snack tasy on it's own?"

Skyler was happy to see the other girl return her grin with one of her own. Not pausing to consider proper etiquette and manners, Skyler took a seat at the table. It made much more sense than just standing there like a bloody lop anyways. She arched a brow at the other girls' question, a slow smirk making it's way to her lips even as she was distracted by the squiggling puppy in her arms.

Skyler rolled her purple eyes as Pearl tried another break out attempt, only this time Skyler had been prepared and attached the leash to the pups collar. Pearl, seeming to realize she wasn't going to get far, or any closer to the amphibian she was after, let out a small whine. When Skyler grinned amusedly down at the puppy, Pearl seemed to give an indignant huff. Shaking her head, Skyler brought her purple gaze to the girl sitting across from her.

"She, actually. Pearl," Skyler indicated the white pit bull puppy, "is female. And I'm not sure about the condiments. I've never actually fed her amphibian before." Skyler's eyes flashed in amusement, and another smirk appeared. "But she's a regular pouncer. Maybe she thought they could be friends? You know, pounce around together. I'm sure I've seen puppies and frogs pouncing together in harmony somewhere."

Skyler couldn't help herself and her smirk spread into a wide grin. "I'm Skyler, by the way. Skyler Riddle." She introduced herself. It was typical of her really. Waiting until she exposed a bit about herself, her personality, before actually providing her name. She wasn't sure how it happened, but it always happened that way. Ah well. Who cared anyways? Skyler's motto: Rules were meant to be broken, lines meant to be crossed, and order meant to be messed up. Worked well enough for her anyways.

Cass rests her arm on the edge of the table, momentarily forgetting that she's seen at least four flakes of wood that look like splinters in the making. She sees the smirk lurking on the girl's face and her brow furrows. Has she stumbled upon a nasty girl? Maybe her brother had got it wrong and it was the girls that she had to watch out for. Wanting something off you and all that jazz.

Only she wasn't so sure she knew any defence moves against girls. Didn't they go for the ankles or something? Something like that.

Yet, she had to make sure not to write her off. Her bro did that all the time and look where that left him? Friendless. Not even Bradley spoke to him these days. The girl was looking less and less scary anyway. The smirk looked much more playful than she had first thought out.

"Oh," she says softly, staring enviously at the puppy. It isn't much like Cass to be envious of other people's things but she's never had a fluffy animal before. Then again, she doesn't love anyone quite as much as she loves Bradley. He IS rather brilliant. "Sorry Pearl. Didn't mean to out you there. Slip of the tongue. Promise."

And when the girl said about eating amphibian, Cass banked on her joking. Well, she acted like she was anyway. Laughing, she offered, "well, I do have mustard with me. In a jar. English mustard: it's quite strong. But that's how you have to have mustard, I suppose."

Imagining what she imagined Skyler was imagining right now, Cass' smile widened. Of course. They seemed the natural pairing.

"Now, pouncing," she said in all seriousness, shifting her leg so Bradley could hop away if need be, while she put the other arm on the table. "Bradley sure knows how to pounce. Yeah, that's Bradley. I'm Cass Marling. Well, Cassopeia. Kinda like the constellation, only my dad doesn't go well with too many vowels." She shrugs at this thought, hating the need to have to explain it. Otherwise it just sounds stupid. Quickly, she adds, "Cass'll do just fine, though," in an odd voice.

"So this pouncing. Does it apply to all snacks? Or does it only ever apply to frogs and puppies?"

It didn't take Skyler long to figure out that this was a girl she could grow fond of, if given the chance. She seemed friendly enough, yes, but it was more than that. Even after only the first couple of moments, it was easy to tell the girl was one of those 'outside the lines' types. And that was a trait Skyler could appreciate. She grinned when the girl offered Pearl an apology, and her grin only grew as the girl made a play on her own joke. "Well I hear dogs'll eat anything, but I'm not so sure frog and mustard make such a good combination." She wrinkled her nose at the thought. "Not even to a dog. But then again, I'm not exactly a mustard person. So...yea. Could just be me." She commented conversationally, with a small shrug of her shoulders at the end.

Her purple eyes flashed with amusement as the topic turned to pouncing, and Skyler found herself being introduced in a round about way to the girl and her frog. Her brows furrowed momentarily as she noticed the rather odd tone of voice the girl used when indicating she could call her Cass, but they smoothed out as she once again grinned. One thing about Skyler, she was very observant, and therefore noticed and picked up on alot of things most others didn't.

"Nice to meet ya Cass. And of course Bradley too. I've never met a frog before, but I'm sure Bradley's just the creme of the crop." She wasn't making fun of the girl or her frog. Not at all. She actually found it quite interesting of the girl to have chosen a frog as a pet. It said alot to Skyler, whether the girl realized it or not. "And for the record, I like your name. It's different. Not something you hear everyday. I think it suits you." She added easily. To her it seemed suiting anyways. But not everyones mind worked as hers did.

Skyler cocked her head, considering the question, smirk reappearing. "Well, I don't know about you, but I've been known to pounce onto unsuspecting passetby from trees every once in a while. It's great fun. Catching people off guard and whatnot. Should try it sometime. If you haven't already, that is."

"Dogs'll eat anything?I very much doubt that. I'm the mouth like a garbage bin in my family, you know. I'll eat mustard so you know it's true," Cass proves. Obviously no-one in her family in their right minds would pick something so yellow. Apart from Cass, 'cus she was a Hufflepuff. Obviously. So obviously.

Momentarily, Cass can't stop looking at the girl's eyes. It's not that they're purpl- oh wait, yeah. It is. That reason, that reason plainly. Kind of kooky how she can't stop looking. Such a vibrant colour. Yeah, she really can't stop looking now. She'd better think of something to say before she notices the intense eye contact. Negative comments in the past about that, yes.

But Skyler speaks and she can sigh in relief, the sigh distracting her from her eyes. She's wondering why she was stuck with what ever colour she had. Oh well, a colour is a colour nevertheless. When she compliments her about her name, she reverts back to the staring blankly at Skyler's eyes. "Good to know."

She likes pouncing too!
"You like pouncing too!" Cass beams. "That's brilliant! That's my favourite form of affection, if any. Do you have a favourite one? Snuggles are good too, but only with Mums," she cautions, knowing some girls don't just snuggle with Mums.

Skyler felt the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. So the girl was a human garbage disposal. There was something you didn't hear every day. "Well then, I'll just call you Colonel Mustard then." She said with a grin and a nod of her head, having every intention of using that nickname for the girl from then on. No doubt they'd run into eachother again, if not often.

Skyler cocked her head subtely, noticing the girls' attention had caught something in particular. It didn't take her more than a few moments to figure it out either. She got much the same reaction from alot of people, and it didn't bother her so much anymore. She had delighted in it as a little girl, but there had been a brief time where it had done nothing but annoy her when people stared at her eyes. Now it just phase her. Her first bit of accidental magic. That always made her grin. It was a good story. Maybe one she would share with 'ol Mustard here. Maybe.

Nodding, Skyler can't help how her grin falters for just a fraction of a second. Favorite form of affection? Thinking on it, she was sure she didn't really have a favorite. Mostly because she didn't get much. And she didn't have the first clue as to what snuggling was, but if it was something you did with your mother, it couldn't be all that bad. She supposed. She didn't have one of those, so she didn't really know. And if her mother had been anything like her grandmother....well, she probably wouldn't know anyways.

Pushing all those thoughts aside, she focused back on the girl who Skyler found herself referring to as Mustard even in her head. "Not too sure I have a favorite form, but I do like to pounce. Nearly given my grandmother a heart attack quite a few times, pouncing at her from hiding spots." She confides with a smug grin.

"Colonel Mustard? Surely to get a name like that I'd have to have a debriefing, initiation or a quest to get such a title." While having a rank on a name was a name too big for a small girl, Cass decided the leader of a few people was much much smaller than a constellatoin with a few too many vowels. "I'm sure it'll do now, though," she equivocates.

This is very very converning for Cass. Everyone should have a favourite form of affection. A favourite for everything. Why, her favourite conversation breaker to people her brother says to stay away from are facts, and mostly about oceans and muggle objects- they intrigue the critical minds.

Getting off her seat, she motions to Skyler to stand up. "Now, you need to take notes on this, because I will and shall test you. Stay put."
She takes a few steps back, to the entrance of the pub. To someone looknig casually by it looks like she's just arrived and is brushing off her feet, but really it's something else entirely.

She's taking a run up.
As she runs to Skyler she yells, "this is a glomp!" with arms wide and a smile bigger than even that.

Skyler's small mouth dropped into a frown. Well....the girl had a point she supposed. Thinking on it for a few moments, a sly grin worked its way onto her lips, before that too slipped away and a mock serious look took over her face. The only thing really giving her away was the purple eyes that danced in laughter. "Well then Colonel, consider this your debriefing. Your mission: To find every adventure and spot of probable trouble trouble on the horizon. What say you Colonel?"

Not able to help herself, Skyler laughed, pleased grin appearing. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was doing the unexpected. She could've replied with sarcasm, which on regular basis was he response to most things anyways. But she was in a good mood, she rather liked this new friend, and felt playful. Besides, if it made the other girl even chuckle, Skyler counted it as a win. She liked to make people laugh. Lived for adventure. But liked making people laugh along the way.

And now she was being pulled into a standing position, with strict orders not to move. Well, the Colonel certainly had the whole 'giving orders' thing down, if she did say so herself. Skyler did stay put though, curiousity getting the best of her and all that. Not before placing her puppy on her now empty chair, and wrapping the leash around the armrest. Just in case.

And that was how she came to be standing there, watching with her head cocked as Mustard took a sudden running start, yelling something about a glomp and with a grin a mile wide on her face. Now Skyler considered herself a pretty smart individual, and so quickly came to the conclusion that at the pace the Colonel was running, and given the direction in which she were running, that they were going to without a doubt come into contact. Now she could just very well move out of the way at the last possible moment, which would teach Mustard here a lesson, she was sure. But in the end, Skyler figured it couldn't hurt too much to let her new friend have her fun.

So she did what any normal person in her position would do. She planted her feet firmly and prepared herself for the collision that was sure to come. Not without a grin of amusement though. Because if you were her, watching Cass run at you like a fire were behind her through a packed Leaky, arms spread wide and huge grin on her face, you'd be amused too.

Cass collides rather violently into Skyler and shouts something along the lines of 'yipee' although it could have easily been just a very long sounding exclamation of 'eee', Cass lost coherancy after realising that glomping was just as good if not better than snuggling. She'd have to compare.

And Cass thought she had been doing well so far, listened to Skyler's briefing and this was the best authority ever. If you could be the leader of someone, what better order would there be than to get hugs around the clock? No greater power, she thought.

Constricting around Skyler, Cass giggles in a very simple way and lifts Skyler up off the ground for a second for the shock value. That's always fun.
"And what conclusion have you come to regarding the types of affection, Ms Anti-Mustard? Lieutenant? Madame Menace? Frog eating fiend? Compadre?"

Skyler couldn't help but let out her laughter as Cass slammed into her and she let out a small 'oompf', but the grin never so much as faltered, much less left her face. This was all new to Skyler, but at that exact moment she felt every bit the eleven year old kid she was, and she couldn't really hide her joy even if she wanted.

Next thing she knew Cass was lifting her of the ground giggling, and Skyler could only squeal slightly in surprise and laugh. "Well, as far as favorites go, I think we have a winner. But I always thought it was best when the affection could be returned." She replied with a playful smirk, and with that, she wrapped her arms around the other girl in what quite possibly was Skyler's first ever hug.

Cass stops giggling stupidly in an instant when Skyler hugs back, freezing and looking at the Tyrannosaurus rex.
"Hugs are nice," she says dreamily, patting Skyler's shoulder and grinning back at Pearl. Bradley seems to be behaving himself well in her place and she is glad, this gives her another excuse to dole out a few more froggy treats. It's fun spoiling Bradders every now and again.

"Where else do you have to go in Diagon?" pipes up Cass, wondering where exactly she needs to go. She doesn't need to get any books because they've all been arranged with at the school and they've got a few spare copies up there for her. They'll do. The moth eaten covers will only match her other books anyways.

Skyler couldn't help the widening of her grin at the dreamy tone of Mustard's, and she pats the girls shoulder in return lightly. "Yes, I daresay hugs are nice. Nothing compared to a glomp though of course." Skyler responds knowingly, though she has only just learned what exactly a glomp is.

Cocking her head to consider the question, Skyler's brows furrow in thought. Well, where else did she have to go? No where really. Although in reality, everywhere. She shrugged lightly, grin returning full force. "No where really. Already made a stop at the ice cream place, and that's all a kid really needs ain't it?"

"But what if that was just a lucky glomp, eh? What if that was one glomp in a million? What if that was a lucky glomp and there has never been and never will be a glomp as good as that again? It is all very possible, of course," she tries to say convincingly, although it can be plain on her face she is lying.

"I know I've got to stop by at my Uncle Bargie's joint before I go. Better now than never. I'll go now, I suppose. Maybe I'll see you before I make it to the train?" she says hopefully, now genuinely sad she'll have to go. Oh well, she's said it now.

"Was really nice to meet you, Sir Skyler," she says purposefully, with a rare sly look upon her face, before bowing, skipping to the door, before waving and making her way to Ollivander's.