10.15.98
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Rio looked up from the filing he was doing and grinned. The young man that had drifted into Wrycroft's Comics was a welcome sight, after the passel of brats and hooligans that had been infesting the shop earlier.

"Mercury! Merc, darling, is that a- What _is_ that in your pocket?" Sounding rather puzzled, the clerk stepped around the counter and pointed at the bib of Merc's overalls.

"I'm never happy to see you, Rio, you should know that..." Mercury snickered at that, mouth flattening as he gave the other man a wry look. A sweet, inquisitive little face topped by short, spiky quills in gold and brown was peering out of the denim. Looking down, Merc's face nearly split with a delighted grin. "This? This is Annalise."

"Annalise? Lovely name, but what -is- she? She looks like..." He frowned, reaching out to gently touch one of the creature's delicate little ears. "She looks like a hedgehog. Oop!" Her face had immediately retreated, the quills on her head darting forward to ward off the touch. "I don't think she likes me..."

"She is a hedgehog. The brass thinks it's good for me to have something to take care of besides a houseplant." Mercury's hand carefully delved into the hedgie-hiding spot, cupping the diminuitve animal and withdrawing her. "They actually said 'You should have a pet, it will help keep you calm.'" Blinking wide and strangely innocent eyes at Rio, he cradles the hedgehog and nods. "Annalise, this is Rio. He's weird, but he won't hurt you..." Another snicker follows that, Merc shaking his head. "Nah, if she didn't like you, she'd hiss. She just doesn't like to have her head touched... Want to hold her?"