Again with the Panda-hun... but... at least she offered her a way out.

"Ami..." Amelia said quietly. The other woman was Japanese. She was sure to know how it was pronounced. "Just Ami. Definitely not Pandawhatever."

It wasn't really a pleasure. Maybe for the other girl, but for her? Amelia was just embarrassed. And she'd been so badass leading up to it, too. It was enough to make a grown girl pout.

For a moment, crazy Japanese girl (Illaria, the name hadn't quite stuck yet) focused on the thug. Amelia glanced around. Was everyone else okay with this insanity? Was mall security here, yet? Why was she still blushing from all the female attention? She hardly noticed the kid from before moving over to stand by her side.

Again, the conversation turned to her, and-- stopped.

All thoughts ceased but boundless rage. Asking where she'd gotten the shirt was fine. The girl telling her she liked it was okay. Wondering about the size was not a problem. But insulting her chest size!??! That is where Amelia drew the line.

She clenched her fists at her sides. Her eyes blazed. "Grr..."

... She couldn't even come up with something witty or insanely rude to respond with. God. Damn.

>>"Grrr..."

“Ara, 'grrr?' Is Panda-han trying to be Puppy-han?” Ilaria blinked, a smile coming to her face as she looked excited all over again. “Grrr...”

She was about to say something more when the cutest little doll came into her line of vision and she instantly knew she had to have it. However, she was limited in her movements as she was still holding down Muscles-han, so she could only look...until she realized that what she was staring at wasn't a doll at all. It was a boy!! A cute blond boy!!

A squeal of which the likes most fangirls would be jealous of escaped Ilaria's lips as she rushed forward, forgetting all about Muscles and grabbed up the cute little blond and pulling him into her chest with almighty squeeze. She clutched hard for a moment then, remembering her strength, pulled the little boy back and held him by the arms as she lifted him high into the air before bringing him down again to nuzzle his cheek.

“Ara, Kitty look!!” Ilaria jumped up and down, unintentionally bringing the boy up and down with her. “Isn't he adorable!! I want one, I do I do!! Can I bring him home, please?!”

Kitty could do nothing but gape for a moment before she crossed her arms under her ample bosom and eyed the kid, then looked to Ilaria. Sometimes that girl could be a handful and others it seemed like she'd reverted back to when she was five or something and she was trying to get her parents to buy her a new toy of some sort. Still, it was fun to watch but probably embarrassing as hell to live through, of the blond boy's face had anything to say about it.

“Uh, Pucky...that's a kid. Human. Living.” she shook her head. “No, you can't have it. He probably has a home to go to. Besides, what kinda kid wants to live at a candy store anyways?”

Ilaria stopped her bouncing, taking the moment to pull a full force Puppy Dog Pout and looking ready to explode into tears at any moment.

“But...but...he's so cuuuuute...” Ilaria sniffled, sending Kitty backpedaling. “I...I...I want one!!”

And then she began to wail.

Why... Why was she looking at him like that? Chase froze when teal-haired girl focused on him, some inborn danger-sense firing off in the back of his head. Why was she looking at him like that?!

With one, high-pitched battle cry, the strong lady was after him-- and, poor Chase, could only stand stock-still, the shriek ringing in his ears as the girl, and an icy bolt of fear, hit him like a freight train.

He had just enough time to throw up that blockade that prevented him from shifting and/or reading genetic signatures, before being effortlessly picked up and crushed against the girl's chest. I'm going to die! She's going to kill me! The girl then held him out at arm's length, all the while Chase was flushed in the face and totally speechless. Finally released from her smothering embrace, he inhaled. Chase blushed as she nuzzled his cheek, squirmed without avail amidst the exchange.

As the exchange went on between the crazy teal-haired woman and her blonde cohort, Chase glanced back at Ami pleadingly, still absolutely certain that he was going to die.

Teal-haired lady, or "Pucky" pleaded with her friend to let her keep Chase, while "Kitty" flatly declined, stating that no child would want to live in a candy store.

Hadn't she ever heard the colloquialism, "kid in a candy shop"? Chase's ears perked up at the mention of candy, and he redirected his attention to Kitty.

And then, of all things, the girl started crying. Was she throwing a tantrum, or did older girls just spontaneously cry like this all of the time?! Was it something he had done? Chase squirmed as a waterfall of tears began plopping onto his head. Had he a mother to hide behind, he would have. His gaze flickered to Ami once again. He wanted her to release him, but couldn't find the words to say so. Chase settled for shifting uncomfortably.

>>“Ara, 'grrr?' Is Panda-han trying to be Puppy-han?” “Grrr...”

"Grrr..." Amelia gritted her teeth.

She did not like this Japanese girl. She did not like her one bit. She had been insulted by a crazy woman who liked her choices in fashion, yet wore one of the most out-of-place outfits imaginable. The outfit. It was out of place. And the woman. She was crazy. These two things, Amelia knew.

One more thing came to her attention, as crazy Japanese girl flung herself at her blond-haired friend and started smothering him with her chest. The girl wasn't just crazy, she was a danger to everyone, including herself.

The girl bounced around a bit, crushing the boy, squealed, crushed him some more, then wailed like a baby when her friend told her she couldn't have him for herself.

The kid was looking pleadingly towards her, imploring Amelia to rescue him. He needed rescuing, too.

"Hey." She interrupted the fit flatly. "Can't you see you're hurting him? He needs to breathe."

So. Anime. Teal-haired girl was practically ripped from a Japanese comic book, with all her goofball antics. It wasn't fun and carefree at all. It was dangerous. She was dangerous. And the thug was still on the floor, looking mad.

A pair of rent-a-cops walked on the scene, right about then. They looked at the teal-haired girl, looked to the guy who'd been causing trouble, made connections, and smiled at her. "Miss. We can take it from here." One of them said.

The other one chimed in "Thanks" as he moved to get the guy.

>>"Hey. Can't you see you're hurting him? He needs to breathe."

“Ara?” Ilaria pouted, sniffling as she began to ruffle Chase's hair in a loving manner. “But...but he is so cuddly...”

Ilaria stopped crying almost immediately when the officers came, picking up the fallen big guy to haul him away. Ilaria pondered a moment, a delicate index finger tapping her chin, if they could handle him or not but decided that if they needed her help they could ask. She didn't want to insult their pride by offering. She was just a random girl to them, after all. A small (miniscule) one at that.

“Well, I am glad that's over with.” Ilaria clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels, smiling brightly to the other small people, inwardly ecstatic that she didn't have to tilt her head up to talk to them. “Perhaps we should exchanges names, yes? Ilaria is my name. The busty Frenchwoman over there is Kitty. She assists me at my candy store and is my partner in many, many things. Perhaps if Panda-han and Cutey-chan gave me their names, I could call them those, yes?”

But she doubted it.

>> "Hey. Can't you see you're hurting him? He needs to breathe."

There were no words more merciful than that which the brunette had just spoken. He didn't mean to be rude, he just didn't like people touching him. He wasn't hurt so much as thoroughly freaked out, but hey, whatever worked.

>> “Ara? But...but he is so cuddly...”

The woman ruffled his hair, but as the rent-a-cops arrived to "handle the situation", Chase was released. He siezed the opportunity to slink back to the brunette's side and plant himself there. Had that been a slow response-time, or what? The eight-year-old was baffled-- the teal-haired woman had just incapacitated two guys that were three times her size, and all that the mall cops could seemed to say was that they could take it from here? There were simply some things in this world that didn't compute for the eight-year-old.

>> “Well, I am glad that's over with. Perhaps we should exchanges names, yes? Ilaria is my name. The busty Frenchwoman over there is Kitty. She assists me at my candy store and is my partner in many, many things. Perhaps if Panda-han and Cutey-chan gave me their names, I could call them those, yes?”

Wow, that girl talked a lot. Chase shifted his gaze towards the brunette, with her panda shirt. He supposed that made him "Cutey-chan". All he caught were their names, that Ilaria owned a candy store, and that Ilaria had said the word names again... which meant that she was probably asking for their names, right? Ilaria was a pretty name. But, Chase wasn't about to go down that avenue of conversation-- it would probably lead to more snuggling and bone-crushing hugs.

"Chase," Chase answered simply, "My name's Chase."

He wasn't much of a conversationalist, but tried anyways-- he touched on the one subject that would have snagged any child's attention. His voice was halting, though, and low-key, "You... own a candy store? That... has to be the coolest job... ever."

>>“But...but he is so cuddly...”

Amelia pressed her forehead into her palm with a sigh. The mood was maintained, into the next conversation topic.

She'd already introduced herself to the girl, but apparently, Anime had ADD and had forgotten. Ah well. The kid introduced himself as Chase. She followed suit. "Ami." She said. Pronounced 'Ah Mee'. She didn't give Anime any lip over the fact that this was the third time she'd told her the name.

>>"You... own a candy store? That... has to be the coolest job... ever."

Ilaria giggled, patting Chase on the head gently before ruffling his hair somewhat. “Ara. It is. Sometimes it can be rough but most of the time I find it pleasant. I like to make people smile, you see. Cutey-chan can come see it, yes? I would be more then happy to let him be my sampler.”

“Hey!!” Kitty crossed her arms and huffed. “That's my job you're giving away!!”

“Piffle.” Ilaria dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. “Kitty's not nearly as adorable as my Cutey-chan.” With this Ilaria pulled Chase in close for a hug, knowing that somehow the small child probably didn't like to be touched but not being able to help herself. “And it's my shop. I'll do what I want.”

She stuck out her tongue for good measure, a act that Kitty promptly imitated before they both started to raspberry with all their might. When Kitty eventually gave up, she walked forward a step and flicked the teak haired woman in the forehead.

“Whatever. Make sure you record the result then, Pucky.” she sauntered past them and out of the store.

Ilaria nodded, knowing Kitty really didn't care but liked to keep up appearances...and tease her whenever the blond got the chance. “Ara, I'm sure Cutey-chan won't mind coming to my store, yes? And you...ummm...” Ilaria tapped her chin before looking to the panda shirt wearing brunette.

“What was your name again, Panda-han?”

The brunette rubbed her forehead in annoyance, introducing herself as "Ami". That was an easy name to remember. Chase could remember that name, for now...

>> "Ara. It is. Sometimes it can be rough but most of the time I find it pleasant. I like to make people smile, you see. Cutey-chan can come see it, yes? I would be more then happy to let him be my sampler."

Even quiet children could be won over by candy. Chase would have said yes in a a heartbeat, but he was thoroughly aware of stranger danger. Kids were supposed to "just say no", or something like that... maybe that was for drugs... At any rate, if an adult offered you candy, you weren't supposed to take it from them. Even if you really, really wanted the candy. Before Chase could decline, though, he was constricted into another hug. Chase squeaked uselessly, but didn't squirm this time.

>> "Ara, I'm sure Cutey-chan won't mind coming to my store, yes?"

"I should probably ask m-" Chase began, the lie closing-up in his throat. He was going to say that he should ask his mother, but he couldn't. Couldn't ask her and couldn't lie about asking her. And, if they happened to follow him, who would he ask? He'd be caught in a lie. So, Chase opted for a different channel of excuse, "I mean, it would probably hurt Kittys' feelings if I took her job."

That was a good reason. Chase looked towards Ami inquiringly. That was a good answer, right? He squirmed again, and found that he was able to wriggle free, this time. What happened to her super-strength?

>> "And you...ummm... what was your name again, Panda-han?"

Chases' eyes sparkled with humor. It was like being with an old person who couldn't remember anything. A chipper old person, though, not one of the grouchy kind. He smiled, but he didn't laugh-- it didn't look like Ami found it very funny.

"Her name's Ami," Chase said in a stage-whisper, "She just told you that, Ilaria."

>>“What was your name again, Panda-han?”

If this had been an anime, Amelia's forehead would have had a vein on it ready to pop. It wasn't. She just took a calming breath and tried not to tear into this infuriating woman.

>>"Her name's Ami," Chase said in a stage-whisper, "She just told you that, Ilaria."

Anime was lucky. Her teal-head had been saved by the boy. What was his name? Chase? See? She remembered peoples names, unlike Anime.

"I really don't like being called 'Panda-hun'," she added. "Or 'hun', at all."

She had a girlfriend. It wasn't like women could just start calling her 'hun' and hitting on her without some expecting some recourse.