The short blonde walked into the hotel, a giant grin on her lips. A sai bitty with a stripes pattern cuddled into her arm, looking around curiously. "Hello! I heard you help first time bitty owners?"
Looking up from the desk, curly purple hair bouncing from the movement. "Oh! Yes, how may I help you today?" The noise caught the interest of Teddy a 7 ft long chain and Sun Drop a 6 ft long Grillby lamia. William a foot long corny was still asleep in the window.
"I could use some help picking out some toys for my sweetie here. And…" She glanced down. "Possibly some help picking a name." She rubbed lovingly behind the sai's ears, the cat sized bitty purring happily under the attention.
Pushing up her glasses, Lola was about to speak but Sun Drop raced ahead. "I can show you the toys!" The eager bitty was tugging at the guest's shirt pointing to a room labeled Toy box. "There are handmade yarn toys and hard plastic ones and puzzles-" Before Sun Drop could say more. Teddy grabbed him. "Sorry about him. People person you know." Clearing her throat, Lola tried again. "Now for names was there a specific gender your bitty wants or something they really don't want to be called so I know what I am working with."
Claire couldn't help flinching at fire suddenly racing towards her. She knew it was a bitty, and entirely under the little creature's control, but it was still startling. The sai in her arms curled up and hissed sharply as well, the scaled tail curling up away from the gentle warmth wafting off Sun Drop.
"Gender?" The woman asked in puzzlement. "Uh, he's male?" The bitty hummed, before speaking softly. "Elegant."
"Something to match you, hm?" Claire teased.
"Hmm… Elegant boy names might be tricky. Let me see." Going to a blank wall Lola pushed a hidden button and the wall spun around. Looking at the book titles Lola spoke out loud. "Let's not use Neptune, it's a little cliché. But maybe a different sea god?" Teddy was starting to have trouble holding the sweater wearing bitty. "Sun Drop!" Said bitty got loose and went to the blond again this time looking intently at the bitty in her hands and booped the bitty.
"I'd rather not go with greek," Claire mused. "I'm not too familiar with other gods, either."
The sai bitty blinked at being booped, pulling back a little, before giggling and reaching out to boop the fire bitty back. His tail swished slowly behind him.
"I am more for Asian folklore but I can look up others. Ah!" Sun Drop satisfied with the giggles tackled Lola from behind in a hug. "What about Llyr?" the living fire suggested rapping his tail around Lola who was focused on keeping balance. "Well that's up to them but it does sound nice to me." Looking over at the other two. "How does that sound to you?"
"Llyr?" Claire tasted the name on her tongue, rolling it around. The sai straightened up, tugging on Claire's arm as he hummed happily. "Well, that's a yes." It was a good name, rolling off her tongue and as elegant as the bitty she cradled. "Llyr it is."
"Llyr," the sai bubbled. He laughed, the sound similar to a gurgling stream.
"Well now that is established what do you say we look at some toys? Do you have any preference or should we look at a bit of everything?" Lola continuously held back Sun Drop before he could drag anyone to the toy room.
"Stuff that won't get wrecked by water. Llyr's fine outside of it, as you can see," Claire gestured to the sai, who perked up under the attention, "but he's a siren, so chances are everything he touches is gonna get damp." Llyr shrugged good naturedly in Claire's arms.
Nodding in understanding Lola thought. "Well I have some standard bath and pool toys like little boats and rubber ducks. I also have some sand boxes." Sun Drop couldn't take it anymore and whined. "PLEASE! Let me show them!" Lola could hear his clothes start to tear. Looking apologetic she let go of her bitty. Said bitty dragged the surprised guests to the where the water bastes toys where chattering happily as he went. "Remind me to make some more clothes for him later, please." Lola looked to Teddy before walking off to try and pry the grip Sun Drop had on the pair.
Claire laughed happily as Sun Drop dragged both of them to the toy room. Llyr's tail twitched with amusement, a slight smile on his face as he watched the fire lamia.
"Alright, alright." Claire lowered her arms, letting Llyr hop down. The bitty was a touch awkward on his legs, but his tail moved to compensate easily enough. Though the tail might have actually been the source of some of his clumsiness, trying to move it like he was still swimming…
Llyr examined the rubber ducks critically, before letting out a low croon and pouncing on a fair-sized whale toy. "Good prey."
"Good prey indeed. Llyr would you like a treasure chest to fill with your own treasured stones and toys?" Lola pointed to the different boxes. Some looked like classic pirate's chest others labeled puzzle boxes and others still had different locks on them.
Llyr perked up sharply at the offer, zooming in on the offering of various places to store his treasures. "Perfect," he breathed.
"We'll have to get a couple of those," Claire mused. She looked over the treasure chests, intrigued by the puzzle boxes. She might just have to get one for herself later.
Sun Drop picked up one of the pirate ships. "Would the siren like to throw sailors off their course with your singing?"
Llyr would have dove right into the boxes and begun sorting them to decide which was worthy of keeping his treasures, if the suggestion of pulling sailors to their doom had not been spoken. The sai grinned mischievously, and quickly blew out a series of bubbles that rung with music, seemingly just out of hearing.
"Llyr," Claire warned. The sai pouted. "Don't let Sun Drop touch any of those bubbles, Llyr's probably set them to ensnare whoever listens to them." Llyr frowned and held out the shiny coral pebble that he'd offered when Claire first adopted him. "I know." He didn't mean any harm, but it was in his nature to create the musical lures. At the worst he'd probably try to keep whoever listened to the music as a pet, but it still was an unneeded complication.
At the warning Lola scooped up Sun Drop just as he began to reach for the bubble. Using one of her own brochures to fan the bubbles away. "Well now we can't have that. He can handle water about as well as a light match. How about you go play in your sand box?" Sun Drop who had pouted over the bubbles perked up and dove for his heated box of sand taking off his sweater as he went. For all the world it looked like he was swimming. "How about some plants for your underwater home as well?"
Llyr turned with disinterest back to the treasure chests, examining the locks and admiring the fancy designs on them. Claire smiled. "I'll take a look at that. He'll probably want some he can hide in and decorate with."
"Should we look at real or fake plants?" Lola thought of her own stock. "I think water lilies and lucky bamboo would go well together and some fake seaweed to fill in some spaces would be good."
"Fake may not be the best idea if he tears at it. Perhaps some colorful coral plants?"
As the two-people talked Sun Drop opened one eye and, in a whisper, called out. " Hey, Llyr want to see the jewelry we have? I think I saw a crown your size." Mischief clear in his voice.
Llyr's attention snapped quickly to the other bitty. He had narrowed down his selection to a large ornate treasure chest and three puzzle boxes, but that could wait when there was treasure offered. He smiled widely and slipped as quietly as he could to Sun Drop's side. Walking was such a pain. "Real treasure?" His voice rumbled softly, barely contained music within.
"Well, Rotala Macandra, Rotala Wallichii and Ludwigia they come in different shades of red. Is Llyr freshwater or saltwater that could narrow our choices." Lola questioned as she thought of how to decorate the aquarium.
Sun Drop brushed of the sand and put on his clothes again. "I think it's real. The crown had shells around the bottom and gold wire holding a stone on top." Seeing Llyr grumble about walking he got one of the smaller carts. "Get in and I can show you."
"Red's always a nice choice to add color. Mixing it with the water lilies would be nice. And he can switch between both." Claire considered.
The cat sized sai happily clambered into the cart, humming with excitement and pleasure. He reached out and casually gave a quick embrace to Sun Drop. "Let's go."
"Some Bacopa caroliniana too, it has a nice yellow. I think that should do it." Lola paused thinking. "Is it too quiet or is that just me?"
Sun Drop beamed, "Hold on." and started to push the cart with some speed. After taking a hard turn he hoped up on the cart himself letting it move on its own before slowing to a stop where the jewelry and gemstones were behind glass.
Claire looked over to where the bitties should have been. Her stomach dropped. She hadn't had Llyr long, and she'd already lost him! "Llyr?"
Llyr's bubbly laughter filled the air as they shot down the hall. His tail flicked with pleasure as he gazed at the treasures before him.
Dismounting he attempted to climb up. Sadly, he was not designed for climbing, more for open beaches and basking on rocks than going up cliffs. He left gouges in the wall but did not get high. He rumbled in displeasure.
Taking a long deep breath Lola walked to the display. "Ok, Romeo, where are you?" Just as she said it she heard movement on one of the shelves only to see Sun Drop reaching for the lock on the display case. "And what do you think you're doing young man?" Sun Drop froze a sheepish giggle left his lips as he moved away from the lock. "Just showing off the nice stuff we have, of course." William could be heard from his window seat. "Busted!" Lola turned to her first guest. "I must apologize for the bad influence Sun Drop has been."
Claire sighed in relief, reaching down and collecting her bitty back into her arms. Llyr rumbled unhappily, his dark gaze watching the treasures that were just out of reach. "It's fine. I'm just glad that he's alright." She giggled. "It does look like Sun Drop knows exactly the way to Llyr's heart though."
"He is a helpless flirt with near childish innocence… With no small love for danger I'm afraid." Lola admitted. "I hope you realize this means no sweets for at least a week." She gave him a pointed look. "NO!" Sun Drop tried to look like a kicked puppy. "Don't give me that, you know that doesn't work on me mister. Be happy a didn't make it a month." Switching from her angry mom voice to polite business tone at the flip of a switch. "Will you be needing anything else miss?"
Claire giggled. "I'm good, thanks." She stroked Llyr's head absent mindedly. "You've been a huge help, really. I think I've got everything I need, and I can always come back if it turns out I need more help." She glanced around. "This place is really well set up, really. I might just have to come back even if I don't need more help."