Utada Masmerry Zoo.

The zoo was nothing that reishi had imagined. She had imagined the zoo would be something like the one in Yokohama he visited as a child. There would be large chimpanzees, tigers and snakes big enough to swallow a poodle - but in the warming sunshine it felt more like a farm with the wrong animals. On the grassy field the giraffe looked just wrong, Reishi wondered how she felt when the japanese winter hit. Did they keep her in a barn? Put a coat on her? Did she mind? Likewise the lions slunk around, kings and queens of their field of tufting green. It was the perfect enclosure for a few sheep, except the fence was more comprehensive, more prison-like.

The zoo was founded by Atsuko Utada and Jain Masmerry, a couple who loved animals and wanted to preserve them as best as possible.

Arthur: -Me and Simon used to love the zoo when we were kids.

Reishi: Were the zoos in Britain any different?

Arthur: Not really. From what I've seen of this place so far, it seems to be really familiar. It has a kind of wonder and fascination with animals like the zoos back in ol' england. Although simon might say otherwise. He's always a bit of a grump.

Arthur chuckled.

Reishi: Speaking of simon…. I've been meaning to ask you something.

Arthur: Of course milady. Ask me anything.

Reishi: I first found out about hiro being your dog through a girl giving me a pamphlet at a restaurant. She was very mysterious but seemed like she cared deeply about him.

Reishi: So I have to ask, Who was she?

Arthur: Ah! That was probably Simon's older sister -Serella. She also lives with us.

Reishi: Oh ok. She seems really nice. Was she an artist?

Arthur: Yeah! How could you tell?

Reishi: Well,um. She gave me a very "Detailed" drawing of hiro.

Arthur: heh. I can imagine. Serella's art can certainly be expressive.

Reishi: ('art' is subjective here.)

Reishi snarked to herself.

As the two were talking, they both took notice of the hippo enclosure. They stopped to admire the beast that was lazily laying on its side. A zookeeper came out of a back door holding a watermelon and prepared to do a trick.

Zookeeper: Bell! Catch!

The zookeeper threw the watermelon in the air! the hippo swiftly got up from laze and almost instantly positioned itself right where the watermelon would've landed. It was almost unbelievable how such a huge animal could move so fast.

Reishi: Woah! It moved so quickly!

Arthur: Yeah, you'd be surprised. For large animals hippos have some amazing speed.

Reishi: Really? They look so slow.

Arthur: Yup. They can go about 40 Kilometers an hour. That's as fast as many cars.

Reishi: Cool! How do you know so much about hippos?

Arthur: I read a lot. Especially about animals, since they are so interesting.

Reishi: I agree. I think its very interesting to read the differences between us and the beings of the wild.

Arthur: Heh, Then you should this book called the evolution of man and beast. Its really been an eye-opener for me.

Arthur: As the title says it goes over the evolutionary history of both humans and animals.
Arthur: I mention this because it has an interesting theorem on the concept of love.

Reishi: L-Love?

Arthur: Yeah, It says and I quote: "Love is most likely the cause of humans wanting to spread their genome by seeking compatible partners to breed with."

Arthur: "-And by this, They want their partners to be somewhat like them, both in thoughts and feelings."

Arthur looked at reishi with a smile after he quoted for verbatim a passage from his favorite book.

Arthur: So…. What do you think?

Reishi: W-What D-Do I think? Ummm….

Reishi was getting flustered, her face was turning red and her body was heating up. She could feel some butterflies in her stomach.

Reishi: O-Oh look! The wildcats section!

Reishi pointed to a sign that read: "The all new wildcats sections! Lion,Tiger and cheetah's! Oh my!"

Arthur: Huh. That must be new, I don't think that has ever been here before.

Reishi: Then let's go check it out!

Reishi forcibly grabbed arthur's hand and guided him along to the wildcats section. She was too embarrassed to admit it but she was actually starting to get a little red-hearted around arthur.

The wildcats section was full of life,liberty and most of all big cats. Lions,tigers,Cougars,cheetahs and other big cats lay in enclosures that were suitable for their living conditions and ecosystem. This section of the zoo was the most populous as people wanted to see the zoo's alignment of the wild cats of africa.

Reishi looked up to see a leopard laying on a tree branch. It reminded her of juno in the way it was just lazing about its day so casually.

Reishi: Geez, Both big and small cats are lazy….

She observed.

Arthur: Back in Britain, we used cats 'bobbies' because they are so lazy.

Reishi: Haha, That's funny!

Reishi: -But I've meaning to ask you, Why'd you leave the U.K in the first place.

Reishi's curiosity had peaked with this question. She had been wondering about it ever since they first (Formerly) met back in the restaurant. It was rare to see Europeans become even temporary residents in Japan as most migrants were from China,south and southeast asia.

Arthur: Aye. That's a problematic question.

Reishi: Why do you say that?

Arthur: Well it's a bit complicated.

Reishi: Well we have time for you to explain.

Reishi looked at the lazily sleeping leopard.

Arthur: I suppose so, It is only noon….

Arthur: Well the story goes like this…..

Arthur: Simon's mother owns a company which sells candles. In recent years, the company has been booming in profit.

Arthur: In response she wanted to tour the world and establish her brand in foreign markets.

Arthur: My father, wanting to teach editing and writing to the youth of the world, decided to go with her. -And thus, we decided to travel the world…..

Arthur: At first we lived in France,Brazil,China and then Egypt and then we finally came here to japan.

Reishi: Woah, that's a lot of countries. How long did you live in them?

Arthur: 6 months each.

Reishi: Don't you miss Britain sometimes?

Arthur: We go back there for one month, every summer, so it's not like I'm missing much.

Arthur: Though it is a bit hard to leave each country every time. I have to say goodbye to all the friends I've made in such a short time.

Reishi: Arthur…..

Arthur: You don't have to worry though, Reishi! We're staying in Japan for the foreseeable future.

Reishi: Oh thank goodness….

Reishi sighed. She thought she was going to lose another friend…

Arthur: Heh. You sound relieved. Am I that important?

Reishi: N-No! I mean yes!

Arthur: ….

Reishi: I-I mean that…. I don't want to see you go so soon!

Arthur: Is that so? Well like I said, you don't have to worry.

Leopard: *ROAR*

The leopard got up from its laze and roared mightily. It showed its sharp teeth to the crowd which both immediately frightened and impressed everyone. Reishi wasn't scared in the least bit and smiled at the leopard. He embodied the true spirit of the wild in every way.

Arthur: Man. This place is amazing….

Reishi: Beyond amazing…...