Amethyst followed Praxi as they walked down a street. It did not seem very threatening or even interesting. She'd expected some underground club or human fight venue or something of the sort. Instead, they stopped in front of a colorful store front, with animal sounds coming from inside. The princess arched an eyebrow. This couldn't be it, surely?

>>"It's a pet store! They have small animals and you can take them home as companions. I asked Miss Grey and she said pets are allowed,"

"We... came here for animal companions?" the princess blinked. The concept was not entirely foreign to her; Atlantean nobility kept pets too. But to go and buy them at a shop?...

Eupraxia did not want to be petty. (She was going to be, but it was not her intention.) There was something satisfying about catching the Princess by surprise. Amethyst often presented herself as unflappable and too important to be phased by Praxi and her nonsense. The pet shop reveal was a genuine moment of having her expectations thrown for a loop. Demigods might have had pets, (some of whom were Gorgons, Praxi thought with a shudder,) but they did not have little shops with pets ready to adopt. Well, purchase-- there was some sort of exchange of goods involved, but she would figure that out when she was done.

"I'm here for an animal companion. The room is just me, and since I'm not... super keen on a roommate, I figured a pet was the right choice." She slipped into the shop, listening to the muffled sounds of birds chirping and dogs barking with her dull hearing. "I think you should get one too, even if I'm not sure a living being deserves to be left in your care." Might do wonders for her empathy.

Looking around at some cats out of their containment, playing with one another, she imagined the scene would be adorable. All Praxi could imagine was the cat hairs floating around her body constantly. "Either way, I would not mind help picking a companion out. Felines are fine, but... I think I'd like to avoid a creature that sheds for obvious reasons."

Amethyst took another look at the small creatures in the shop's interior through the window. None of them seemed particularly attractive or exotic. Why would someone want to keep a... "is that a mouse?..."

>>"I'm here for an animal companion. The room is just me, and since I'm not... super keen on a roommate, I figured a pet was the right choice."

Amethyst was not keen on a roommate either. She imagined the goop gorgon would not be, since her unique presence would probably breed a whole lot of conflict in a small living place. And by the gods, the Mansion rooms were tiny.

>>"I think you should get one too, even if I'm not sure a living being deserves to be left in your care."

Amethyst rolled her eyes. The fact that she was not sure if she even wanted to care for a living being was suddenly beside the point. "Oh, like you would naturally do better?"

>>"Either way, I would not mind help picking a companion out. Felines are fine, but... I think I'd like to avoid a creature that sheds for obvious reasons."

Amethyst smirked as she walked into the shop with Praxi. She wondered how the owners would feel like about a mutant visiting their animal shop. A shopkeeper in Atlantis would not put it beyond gorgons that they would be looking for food in such a place... The princess observed the various creatures around them. "Reptilian, maybe?... I'd advise against birds since they like to... perch." she noted, giving a sideways glance at Praxi's translucent surface.

Noticing the mouse Amethyst questioned, Praxi admired the small fuzzy rodent. "Aww, it's a cute little mouse. You know, there's one or two of those Disney princesses who sing to mice and birds. Maybe that's something you can do," she teased playfully.

Admittedly, taking care of a pet was going to be a challenge, but one Praxi would work through. She could get a feeder device of some kind, and if the pet had a containment setup, it could limit the trouble. As much as Praxi worried Amethyst's suggestion would be in bad faith, it made sense. "Reptilians," she repeated curiously, inspecting the birds chirping or squawking as they passed. "No shedding, containment unit friendly. That might work! A bird would indeed perch. They also like to preen and demand attention. Might remind me of someone a bit too much." It was easy to want to tease Amethyst, but at least now it did not feel as antagonistic as it was at the Mansion.

Moving toward a series of glass boxes, the reptiles were indeed eye-catching. So many options, so many colors. The choice would be quite difficult! Or so she thought.

"This one. I want this one." At first, she had not known if it was an animal or a prop, but there was a beautiful shell in one of the boxes. It seemed innocuous until the head of a small turtle peeked out of the shell. "I love him."

"That turtle's a girl, actually," mentioned a nearby pet shop employee.

The human did not phase Praxi, as her attention was focused on her new friend. "I love her. I'll call her Kelyfi." It was a silly pun name; in English, it would be the equivalent of calling the turtle Shelly, but it made Praxi vibrate with excitement regardless.

American ideas of animal companions seemed... odd. And oddly scaled down. Why would anyone keep a mouse as a pet? Didn't they have those in their storage buildings anyway?

>>"Aww, it's a cute little mouse. You know, there's one or two of those Disney princesses who sing to mice and birds. Maybe that's something you can do,"

Amethyst wondered where Disney was. Atlantis did not have diplomatic relations with that place yet. If it really was full of royalty singing to critters, maybe it was for the better.

>>"No shedding, containment unit friendly. That might work! A bird would indeed perch. They also like to preen and demand attention. Might remind me of someone a bit too much."

Amethyst rolled her eyes, but her silent sarcasm was lost on the goop girl who seemed to be suddenly attracted by a small rock.

>>"This one. I want this one. I love him."

"Those are delicious" Amethyst nodded approvingly. The turtle looked smaller than the sea turtles she knew from Atlantis, but the fact remained, they were a staple of marine cuisine in her culture. For royalty, anyway.

>>"That turtle's a girl, actually,"

>>"I love her. I'll call her Kelyfi."

Oh right. Animal companion, not food. "Just one?"

Amethyst showed no appreciation for Eupraxia’s Disney reference, which made her think the Princess might need a movie night in the near future. Not that Praxi would suggest that, but someone should educate her.

Praxi had her own pet to get excited about, though Amethysts’s reaction made her bubble. ”No eating Kelyfi, Amethyst. You can go find your own sea creature snacks.” Praxi took no issue with eating animals, but she wanted to draw a hard line: her pet was not food for some Atlantean elite. ”And one is fine. I need a companion, not an army.”

The attendant smiled. “And pets require time and attention and effort. Best to start with one, and we can get you set up with food and equipment for Kelyfi. Though… um, young… lady?”

”Yes?”

Glad to not misstep there, they continued. “Right. How will you be taking the tank home with you?”

That… had not occurred to Praxi. Realizing it caused her to deflate. ”I… darnit. I didn’t realize there would be things to carry home.” And just like that, this plan suddenly felt like a short-sighted waste of time. Praxi was the physical picture of disappointment.