if these wings could fly for the rest of our lives
Abigail was altogether certain that Arlo's rather peculiar behavior was a result of that tie being, perhaps, a bit too tight. She hadn't thought that she had made that knot suffocatingly close to his throat and yet, he seemed eternally determined to tug at it as if the thing was somehow murdering him! The poor man. That frown upon Dorian's features was hardly missed, the man merely suggesting that, perhaps, Arlo simply needed to experiment more with those ties. Abigail was altogether oblivious to that suggestion veiled within those words, the woman simply readily agreeing with an almost energetic nod. After all, it didn't sound like a bad idea. Maybe if he experimented with different tie knots, he wouldn't hate the tie so much. "I think that's a great idea, Dorian." She responded with a warm grin. She'd just google other ways to tie that tie just for him, maybe they could find something nice in time for Dorian and Sebastian's wedding so he could be all prim and proper! It certainly sounded like a good idea! Her hazel eyes turned towards her companion at that casual way he spoke to his friend. They seemed so close, it was kind of nice to see them together!

It was the mention of the young woman in those pictures, however, that distracted her from her joy of Arlo's friendship, the woman immediately turning towards her companion to give him a pointed stare. Any words she might have provided him, however, were stolen from her lips at the idea that she was not a real panda! That sheer idea! Abigail could hardly help the way he so quickly informed her best friend that she WAS a real panda. She definitely WASN'T a fake one, that point one she was sure to make. Even Arlo's assurances that the pictures he had shown were cute certainly weren't going to get her out of this one! She eyed him uncertainty as Arlo quickly made the effort to correct himself, calling her a part-time Panda. It was only his insistence that he liked her that way that soothed the woman's discontent. "Okay..." She stated with a hint of mock suspicion as if she wasn't sure if she truly forgave him. Rather, her attention was drawn towards Arlo and his vampire friend at this mention of a band, that very thing altogether puzzling for her, if only for the fact that she wasn't aware that Arlo had a band to begin with! His mention of Sebastian being the best pianist ever, however, caused her gaze to turn curiously towards the Englishman. She had, after all, heard Arlo play and he was pretty good, even if he insisted that he only knew one song. She almost couldn't imagine what the best looked like.

Even so, it was kind of nice that Arlo had a friend, that relationship one she was determined to encourage. Her hands clasped in front of her in a pleased gesture as she stated she'd rather like to hear the two men play, her pointed gaze turned Dorian, clearly coaxing the man to agree and, quite readily he seemed to pick up on that unspoken request. She watched the two men speak further of those instruments and that future 'jam' session. What she hadn't expected was Arlo's sudden chiding of his companion's language. Abigail provided Arlo with little more than a blank look at his sudden censoring. Thankfully, he seemed eager to move that conversation on, inquiring of whether or not herself or Dorian played any instrument at all. The young woman briefly shook her head, admitting that such things were altogether rare where she had grown up. That soft sigh upon Dorian's lips, however, drew her gaze, the man almost discontent to inform them he played....a wha?? Thankfully, Sebastian seemed quick to fill in those blanks for both of them, her own head tilted to the side in brief curiosity. A cornetto....she was so going to have to google that.

Dorian's inquiry of her childhood home, immediately pulled at the young woman's attention. She followed her host towards that bedroom, her heels clicking upon that tile as the girl provided her companion with that answer he so sought. "I grew up in this small town called Nagarkot. It's in the Himalayan mountains in Nepal next to the Langtang National Park. We used to go visit there a whole bunch because there's full time panda's there.....and cheese....a lot of cheese." Her eyebrows furrowed at the memory of all those weird cheese farms everywhere and yet, the woman was entirely careful to classify those other pandas as 'full-time ones', as Arlo had put it. Frankly, as a child, she'd never really made that distinction between them and her family. They simply all were. Any further talk of that childhood place, however, was cut off the moment they stepped into that altogether glorious dining room. It was somehow even more exquisite then that foyer they'd just come from, the chandelier, the wallpaper, even the cutlery was all prim and proper! She could only imagine what it must be like to live here!

Abigail hadn't truly noticed the number of forks beside the plates, at least, until Arlo had mentioned it with rapt curiosity. That questioning look that was shot her way was met with little more than a small shrug of that bare shoulder, the girl equally as unsure of what to do with the sheer number of silverware. She was thankful, truthfully, for Dorian's instructions on what to do with those different forks. This, she was sure, was something she ever would have figured out if left to her own devices. What she didn't expect, however, was Arlo's admittance that he didn't even own three forks. That audible gasp left her lips as she stared at her friend, this just would not do. "Sebastian! We have to get him FORKS. How do you live without forks! You have spoons too right? Do you even have plates?!" This, apparently, was a travesty sort of proportion to the young woman. WHAT IF SHE GOT HUNGRY? WHAT IF HE FOUND A FOOD HE LIKED? They were not barbaric! They weren't ANIMALS!

Thankfully, that gesture to a seat drew her attention away from that utter tragedy, the woman easily bouncing from one topic to the next as she settled in that spot designated for herself alone. She hardly expected for the man to guide her chair closer towards the table, the young woman glancing up at Dorian with a grin on her features before the Monarch settled at his own spot across from her. She was hardly attentive to the animated, though hushed conversation Arlo seemed to be having with Sebastian, rather, her own curiosity had turned to that glass she was given. "Thank you." She uttered politely before picking it up, the girl sniffing its contents rather...inquisitively. She'd never smelled something quite like this before. It was with some hesitance that she brought the glass to her lips, sipping the liquid within. Her eyes brightened at the taste, that fruity flavor far more intriguing than she'd thought. "What is this? It's delicious!" She inquired, glancing upwards at Dorian with a clear hint of expectation.

It was only once that mystery of that drink was solved that Abigail allowed herself to consider those other questions Dorian had for her in return, ones that she was certainly willing to answer. A feminine giggle left her lips at that question of how she could see. "Of course I see color, silly goose. It's just not as bright. Like the whole world looks a little bit duller and...there's not so many colors in a range. Like, there's not as many blues and my human eyes can see." One single finger rose to her cheek as she attempted to explain herself, only for the woman to continue on without pause at the next question he has given her. "I can turn into a panda whenever but...sometimes it's like my body really really wants to be one when the moon is full. Kind of like an itch you can't help to scratch, ya know? It just feels better." She shrugged at that explanation of those urges the full moon so brought out within her. It was, however, that final question that caused her to pause for a moment as if she was considering how to best word that answer. "It....doesn't feel nice...to change, I mean. But when it's over, it's over so...I don't mind it too much I guess. You get used to it and then it's just...a kind of...discomfort rather than actually hurting." She felt almost...peculiar, to admit that she didn't enjoy that part of what she was. After all, she had been taught to accept all of herself, even despite how much it had hurt as a child. Now it was simply a part of her life - a pain she knew she would withstand that wouldn't last long till it was all safely over. The girl nodded to herself in agreement with herself, only to pick up that glass again and sip on that delicious wine. This stuff was amazing.