Anna poured herself a moderately full glass and grinned. "Eager, are we?" she asked with an amused tone in her voice. "I don't suppose you've ever had wine before, have you? Of course not." She shook her head. "I'm talking to a kinkajou," she said incredulously.
Ollie sighed, sitting back as he toyed with his tail. Yes… you are. He thought. And I've never had wine, yes. Unless someone wanted to leave it out in an alleyway or toss it out with a bit left inside, I guess I never will.
Anna closed her eyes and exhaled out of her nose swiftly. "My husband leaves me, and I start talking to animals. I must be going mad." She opened her eyes and met her kinkajou's wide gaze. "Would you like some?" she asked, waving the wine bottle in her hand.
Ollie knew better. He had to be very careful of what he consumed in this form, so he clambered back down the corner and pretended to sniff around the kitchen. Im sorry… He thought on the topic of her husband.
"I guess not. I don't even know why I asked," Anna murmured, shaking her head. "I've gone mad." She put the cork back in the bottle and put it back in her refrigerator. She took her glass in her hand and gently swirled the liquid while she watched the kinkajou. "What are you looking for, little one?"
Ollie looked up, giving a squeak in response as he suddenly felt the itch. Oh god… he started to run across the living room, looking for anywhere, anywhere, he could hide.
Anna looked confused, watching her kinkajou dart around. She sipped from her wine and leaned against the wall. "What are you looking for?" she repeated.
(Down the hall where she got the towels from, there's also a bathroom, so Ollie can run in there)
Ollie sighed at the sight of the bathroom, kicking the door once he was inside to be out of view. Quickly, he shifted, panting heavily as he stared at his battered human form in the mirror. God, Oliver. That was close. he sighed, shifting back into a kinkajou and receding from the rook with caution
Anna headed down the hall quickly. She approached the bathroom and opened the door. Her kinkajou was heading back out, slipping past her ankles as it did. "What on earth was that, little one?" she asked, leaning her head in and peeking around the bathroom before following her kinkajou back down the hallway.
Ollie, flustered, kept his pace, nuzzling into the small blanket nest as he gave her the benefit of a small squeak. This was no place for him, that was for sure, but he didn't want to leave her either.
Anna shook her head. "Try to keep the exploring to a minimum, could you?" She sat down on her couch with a long sigh and sipped from her wine generously. "There isn't much to explore anyway."
Ollie's curiosity only grew, as his wind wandered to whatever else could be hidden inside the house. Perhaps there were more suitable places for him to shift. He laid his head down on his feet, curling their long tail around their thin body. A nap couldn't be so bad. Especially after all that had just happened
Anna watched her kinkajou with interest. She set her glass on the table and walked over to her desk to retrieve her laptop. She sat on the couch, sipping on her wine with her legs folded under her, and proceeded to research kinkajous with interest. "How did you even get her, little one?" she asked, pursing her lips.
Ollie sighed, thinking about his home. A long, shitshow of a trip. He thought, reminiscing on his perilous escape from those who found Ollie and his mother's identities. How he missed his mother. He jumped up onto her lap, looking at the screen with slight amusement.
"Oh!" Anna exclaimed. "Hello!" Her nimble fingers stroked his head. With her free hand, she pulled up pictures of kinkajou habitats. "Look familiar?" she asked, clicking through the slides.
Ollie chittered at the feel of her hand, practically melting just like before. He curled up just behind the keyboard. He chuckled internally, glancing at the deep brush that was nothing like the vibrant shacks that lined the brazilian coast. He sighed again, snuggling into her lap while his wide eyes hovered over the images
Anna continued to stroke her new kinkajou. "Well, if you're going to be staying with me for the time being, I ought to call you something. A name. Or do you like being called 'little one'? I quite like it." Her fingers continued to click through the slides until an email popped up on her screen. With a frown, she clicked on it and began to read the contents. She sighed. "Already assigned a new case. They can't let me have twenty-four hours to myself."
Ollie looked up, tilting their head at the thought of being called little one. He wasn't a fan. He stretched himself, strolling off her lap as he hair her exclamation. He knew what it was like, having to work when you don't want to, but he hoped her detour would give him a moment to get his… things. He strode to the door, scratching at the wood in an attempt to get the woman to open it
Anna looked up quickly, alarmed when she heard scratching. She sighed when she saw it was only her kinkajou. "You want to leave?" she asked, setting her computer aside so that she could stand up and make her way over to the door. "Alright…" She opened the door. "There you are."
Ollie chittered as a thank you, then started to dart off, looking back at the woman to let her know he wasn't leaving for sure.
After a long while of running, he made it to the secluded brush in the park where he kept his things. Shifting back, he quickly put on his sweats and pulled out the old phone he had recently found and somehow restarted. He sent a quick message to his work, eplanning that he was much too sick to come in, then started his walk back to Anna's townhouse. He didn't have much, just two outfits, his work uniform, a few coins to do his laundry… hopefully he'd be able to hide it somewhere. After all, it was one of his many talents to hide things
Anna watched it leave and closed the door again, not sure how long it would take to return if it did. She sipped from her wine thoroughly and read the email from her boss. "Nathan…" she muttered. "This is ridiculous." She shook her head and tied her honey blonde hair into a ponytail. Waves of it hung down her back – even pulled up it was still long.
(Ahhh, more eve best, I see XD)
Ollie made sure to not take too much time, time drew attention, and he needed none of that. As he approached the house, Ollie slipped his things under the porch, then shifted again, scratching at the door once more
(Maybe…? 😂 I’m a bit obsessed with her)
Anna jumped at the scratching. “Who’s there?” she called, standing up and heading toward the door. She cracked it open, then blinked in surprise when no one was there, then she looked down at about ankle height. “Oh! Hello, little one. Come in.” She opened the door a bit wider so the kinkajou could dart in around her ankles.
(XD Im starting to be a little obsessed too… 😳)
Ollie chirped in response, snaking around her long legs as he ventured into the living room. This whole situation might work out after all.
(OMGGG 😂 I'm so in love with her, I have an Instagram and Tiktok and Tumblr for her (cue my obsessive rambling… so sorry))
Anna giggled as his tail brushed around her ankles and tickled her. "I wasn't sure if you'd be back," she admitted, shutting the door behind her. "But you are, so… I didn't move your towels."