While Quarry met with Orlando, who been specially dosed to counteract the vaccine for the Animalia Virus, which all Animalians had to take in the aftermath of Heather Wilcox's attack on Sophie and Roland in the fall of the previous year, Fran made her way across on of the city parks in Lyre. Things had changed since that attack, and Fran had seen a few Animalia Ambassadoria episodes that showed Heather, by that time Heather Wrex (having adopted the same surname her grandmother had taken) and Sophie actually being quite chummy together. It showed change and growth, which in a way, Fran was also looking far as she walked across the park's grass.
"I wonder what he's like," Fran wondered to herself as she walked forward, looking down as she did so. This was mostly due to her being lost in thought at the moment. "I wonder if he'd even like me..."
She wasn't super nervous, and had every intention of ultimately going through with the conversion once Louise was able to convert as well, but to some degree there was an element about her that was rather nervous about this meeting. She'd made a call to the single male Peafowl, who she'd learned was the brother of the other Peafowl male that the Lyre Zoo had had when the initial outbreaks occurred. His name was Raj, which struck her as rather exotic in a way, which actually raised her interest further, but it did raise some of her present worries. After all, while she wasn't super old, she wasn't exactly young and vibrant, either. Those days were WELL behind her, at the moment, which made her contrast heavily with many of the Animalians she'd met and seen. Even Shyra was younger looking than before with bigger bust and hip measurements than Fran remembered, but also very well toned muscles as well. As she looked down to the loose skin on her forearms, she knew she lacked that, and as a result might not really hold Raj's attention for long.
There were a few things that went on in the background that sounded like kids playing, which made sense that it was summer. She eventually spotted a lone male Peafowl seated diagonally on one of the park bench. He wore a white polo shirt with his wings folded behind him with its more grayish upper feathers hidden and only with the more orangish colored flight feathers actually being seen. His tail was fairly long, but was folded up and held behind him so it could lay toward the ground. This was why he was seated diagonally on the end of the bench. Fran also noted the bright blue feathers on his head and neck and the white feathers around his eyes and running to his beak. His clothing seemed to match his feathers with his white polo shirt and blue jeans, and he looked quite comfortable. Fran gave him a weak smile.
"Are you Raj?" Fran asked nervously, though marveling at his well muscled chest, though she didn't want to get caught staring.
"Yes..." he answered with a nod and gestured with one hand, which she noticed had dark blue feathers running down to his elbow before ending in more peach/gray colored "skin" on his hands and forearms, to offer Fran a seat, "You must be Fran."
"I am," Fran gave a weak smile and sat down beside him.
They sat awkwardly and quietly for a few moments, with Fran glancing to some of the features of the park and a group of kids that were playing in a nearby sandbox. Fran didn't want to say anything that would make her come off as dumb or as though she was wanting to ultimately convert because of his looks. She recognized that a lot of interest people had in other people often related to that, but she also knew that those sorts of relationships usually didn't end well. In this, she wanted to come off as more than an old Vegas club dancer who simply wanted to be young again, as that would come off as rather shallow.
"So... you said on the phone you were wanting to convert to being a peahen?" Raj asked.
"Yeah," Fran nervously nodded and brought a hand up to push her hair back over and behind her ear for a moment, "I've... uh... well, I've always liked image a male peacock has made in various nature photos and things like that. They look fancy in a way..." She paused when she saw Raj blink. "I'm sorry if that was shallow of me."
"It's alright," Raj answered with a chuckle, "being fancy does have its benefits. It can win attention and can help with other things..."
"Like what?" Fran wondered, so far feeling fairly relieved that Raj was being friendly and tolerant with her.
"Dancing," Raj answered, "I've had a job doing some work for a local radio station playing music and so on... but I've actually been rather fascinated by a lot of the ballroom dancing that I've seen in some movies and plays and so on. In some ways... it reminds me of the time before I was uplifted."
"Sounds interesting," Fran commented, remembering some of her younger years. She'd often been a background dancer for various musical groups that would play at the various clubs and casinos in Las Vegas. It was fun, though it meant that when she got older and began to lose her figure, she was no longer wanted... especially as dance styles changed and the people that came to the clubs also changed.
"Yeah... though... I've never really had anyone to dance with," Raj said slowly, "my brother took the peahen that had been at the zoo as his mate after being uplifted and I was left on my own..."
"A big strong guy like you?" Fran teased.
"Well... I am stronger than I was before," Raj answered, "but I suppose when most people become Indian wildlife, they seem to prefer to go Tiger rather than Peafowl... It actually made me rather hopeful when you said you were leaning in that direction."
Fran gave a weak smile at that, though she noticed that Raj managed to return it. A part of her thought he was just being polite, though she also noticed the run of feathers that stood up on his head being raised up and down ever so slowly. It made her wonder if he was as nervous as she was. A short silence fell over them as they sat together for a few moments, with Raj even scratching the back of his head after a moment or two.
"So... were you hatched in India?" Fran wondered, "and that's how you got to the zoo?"
"No... all of us at the Lyre Zoo have family trees that go back generations in various American zoos," Raj answered, "the zoo staff just felt compelled to give me a name that sounds Indian."
"Have you ever thought of going?" Fran wondered.
"Some times I get curious as some of the stories on what "the jungle" looks like sounds intriguing," Raj answered, "though... in many ways, I'm actually rather happy with Lyre and Animalia. I've had good neighbors and good friends... and to a certain extent I feel safe here."
Fran slowly nodded at that, as she could understand the idea of wanting to feel safe. She knew a lot of people wanted that, especially in a world where everything seemed to be going crazy. And to some extent she sort of wanted that too. Like Shyra and the others, she'd had her fair share of relationships in the past, but even with no real abuse or anything violent, Fran had never had any real relationships that would lead to the proverbial "prince charming."
"And to some extent... I've been hoping for a loving partner," Raj commented, "which further made me interested in meeting you when you said on the phone that you'd like to become a peahen."
Raj then took the hand that Fran had closest to him and lifted it up gently to his beak. He placed the tip against the back of her hand and slowly opened his beak, the best that a bird Animalian could make to a kiss, since a hard beak couldn't bend the way lips could. It seemed rather romantic and made Fran blush a bit.
"Especially with one as friendly as you've been," Raj commented, "and hopefully in time... you don't feel like I'm judging you..."
"You're not?" Fran asked, trying hard to hide her blush, but failing, "but... I... a good part of this for me is to get my youth back and I'll admit that some of the want to be an Animalian is for reasons that are... shallow."
"I'm not judging you," Raj answered, "many humans who have become Animalians have done so to get their youth back, and they were good people before and are good people now. There are a few that due to their exposure to the Animalia Virus have had their age advanced, and they are also good people. Even a few uplifted Animals have even had their youth restored. There is nothing wrong with that..."
Fran gave a small smile as she looked to Raj. He returned the smile and continued.
"And many people may start dating for "shallow" reasons," Raj continued, "because they find the other attractive and so on... That's how a lot of courtship among Peafowl works... The Peacock with the best tail wins the female's attention. It's what comes later that really determines things. The relationship is only shallow if looks and sex is the ONLY thing that keeps a couple together... but if they can form a bond and work where they agree and share interests... that leads to a deeper relationship."
Raj than reached over and lifted up Fran's cheek with one finger and smiled to as their eyes met. Fran couldn't help but smile as well.
"And I'm more than willing to do the work to get to know you, if you'll have me," Raj answered.
"I will," Fran said happily with some thoughts of her and Raj together, well dressed, and dancing the night away with his tail feathers displayed to show how handsome he was. "We'll have to wait on the conversion because I've promised a friend to wait until she can be converted to go..."
"We can always date," Raj offered, "as there is nothing wrong with waiting."