DAY 3

Roxy woke up early in the morning before Ian, put on her fur coat, and dashed out of the house, down the lane, to the 'Ole Fishing Hole'. She knew that Logan would be up early to catch some fish. She found him sitting in his old deckchair under the broken sail of his old ship. When he saw her, she took the blue bass out of her pocket and handed it to him. He smiled a toothy grin, 'Ah, a fine fishy! Thanks bub, this is perfect. Okay, now let me show you how to win a lady's heart, including yer own. You can fool some girls with yer flashy clothes and fancy poetry, but to really impress a girl, here's what ya need to know. Ready? Okay, watch close: *URMPH* . . . *BLARGH* . . . *CHOMP* Okay, ya see what I did there, bub? I just bit the head clean off'n that wriggling fish. See, a lady's gotta know that you're a real rugged character, or else she's never gonna respect ya.'

Roxy froze, she was disgusted and shocked – poor fish! She had no idea what type of ladies Old Man Logan had managed to attract, but it certainly wasn't her, and she couldn't see Liam doing that. However, she thanked the old fisherman for his help and ran quickly back to Ian's house. It was getting lighter. She washed her hands from the fish, hung up her coat, cleaned her and Ian's boots, filled up Rufus' food and water bowl and began to prepare for breakfast.

Ian came downstairs and she greeting him with a warm mug of tea. He was rather sleepy still, so as it was Sunday, Roxy volunteered to go down to the shops to buy some groceries and a newspaper. On the way, she popped into Crate and Apparel. When she first went in, it was all dark and she couldn't see anything. Then out jumped Liam with a saucepan in hand! Roxy screamed.

'Liam! What on EARTH are you doing?' Liam looked guilty and chucked the saucepan away; he was worried that it might have been someone that wanted to kill him or something. Then he cheered up, 'Anyway, so what did that salty old sea dog Logan have to say about women?'

Roxy explained, and Liam seemed quite happy, 'Rugged, huh? That's surprisingly good advice coming from a dude who smells like a low tide. Yeah, he's probably right. I'd better work on getting a little more rugged. I'd better go find a fish . . .' So Liam was all set to go fishing, and Roxy explained that if he ever needed a guppy or two, she had plenty. On the way out, Liam asked her if she wouldn't mind talking to Bludeau, one of the robots at the 'Faktori'. She said she'd think about it.

Roxy went to the local newsagents, and bought some vegetables and a newspaper, plus some cat treats for Rufus. On the way back home, she passed the 'Faktori', and decided to pop inside. When she asked for Bludeau, out came a small square-ish robot singing 'I . . . l . . .o . . .v . . . e . . . y . . . o . . . u . . . 010011101001101110 . . .' Bludeau was over the moon about being spoken to. He was excited about experiencing friendship and kindness, and it took Roxy quite some time to get through to him. He seemed hurt from the question that was put to him about female love, 'I cannot feel love, for I am but a box of brass and strings and electric gut stuff. I will never experience the things you humans take for granted: the touch of flesh, the joy of emotions, the exquisite pain of laying an egg . . .' Roxy raised her eyebrows, and Bludeau carried on, 'Nonetheless, I have made many observations about this thing called love. I would happily share these insights with you, but I must ask a favour in return.' Roxy was nervous to accept a quest from this insane robot, but she did anyhow. She was asked to catch 3 butterflies – 1 red, 1 blue, and 1 yellow, so that Bludeau could enclose them in his chest cavity. This might just feel like the fluttering of love to him. Roxy nodded uncertainly and walked out.

When she got back to Ian's store, he greeted her warmly and thanked her for the shopping. He had arranged for them to have a nice walk around the park and explore the different parts of town. Roxy was over the moon and asked if perhaps she could try and catch some interesting bugs and insects along the way. Ian thought it to be a pleasant idea and fetched her a net from his garden shed. Then the two of them set off in their boots and hard gloves, as it was quite crisp outside. It may still be summer, but the coldness of winter was already drawing in. Perhaps it was because of the unknown presence of Zhivago, that was turning the sun into ice…

Roxy and Ian had a wonderful time in town. They took a picnic with them and sat in the sun, watching the pouring fountain and the leaves fall from the trees, swaying gently in the afternoon breeze. All day long, Roxy jumped and swooped and hopped and skipped, trying to catch bugs and creatures flying in the sky. Ian laughed at her determinism and showed Roxy how to swiftly catch a bug before it flew away. By the end of the day, Roxy had perfected the art, and had collected many insects, including the butterflies that Bludeau had asked for.

She took some pretty flowers to take home, along with the 3 butterflies (as she had let the others go) and she still did not let in to Ian about the quest she was going on for Liam. On the way home from the park, they bumped into Leon, the security cop of Barton Town. He looked fierce in his bulky armour, but he was only there to keep the village safe. Roxy asked if she could pop into the 'Faktori' to ask about some paint she was interested in, so she stayed behind when Ian went home. She went inside and gave the butterflies to Bludeau. He opened up the jar and shoved them inside. CLANK! 'Alas,' he sighed, 'the butterflies had no effect, other than gumming up my SPEEchh Cirrrcut a little BBBBit. But yyyess, now I givvve ad-vice. To get hearts of female ladywoman, must express you heart! Time you write poem on lady. Give lady poem, feels love, lady love forever.' Roxy tried to explain that SHE wasn't the one who wanted to attract a lady, but Bludeau carried on . . . 'Hheere, I make poem for lady. TELL friend to use poem to lady: O lady, So fine you lady. O am enjoy in mine heart, Taste of lady lick mine brain. Lady give thee to me, O lady must be mine, FOREVER I WANT LADY, Give love now me. AH yes, this poetry give love in ANY lady. Give love words at friend?'

Roxy thanked Bludeau for his help, and still heard him singing as she went down the street! She popped in to see Liam quickly before going back home. Liam was extremely happy with the results he was getting. He thought for sure that the girls would be mad about him if he mixed together sophistication, ruggedness and poetry. Roxy wasn't so sure, and thought up a plan in her head that she couldn't help smiling about. Julie would be so happy! Liam thanked Roxy so much for her help and said that he had all the information he needed. Feeling happy with helping someone, and thinking about helping another, Roxy ran home and went to sleep pretty quickly, unaware that Zhivago was watching her through the window . . .