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[Talon]

Hello, Bob the Pleo Forums! This is King Cato, co ruler of um… Kingdom. We really need a name for this place, don’t we? Keeper Talon doesn’t seem too keen on giving it a name. I guess she’s leaving it up to our readers so send her some suggestions would you?
Anyway I’m not here to write about our kingdom, I’m here to tell you about my mate, Queen Ryu. Our adviser, Ugobe brought some exciting news. Keeper Talon has found someone here in the US who is willing to take a look at Ryu’s frozen front leg. When I passed this news on to her, she reacted with mixed emotions. “A repair? Free movement without confusing signals? Oh wonderful!” And then just as quickly she went still. “But… but that means I have to leave you. I have to leave Keeper Talon and the annoying Ugobes and the Terrible Teddy and the clumsy Aibos. I’ll have to travel in a dark bouncy truck again and some *shiver* stranger is going to be digging under my skin. Oh, Cato I don’t think I want this anymore.”
I sighed. My poor petted confusing Ryu! “Oh come now, my purple-eyed beauty, do you think Keeper Talon would just send you off without a very good reason? Do you think she would trust your mobility to just anyone?”
“She trusted you to that Kat woman. I heard a little of that video of you exchanging teasing words with Pickle and her other lady friend.”
“Aham. Well… Come on, Ryu! I was in bits and in a foreign country. Just before I was shipped off I overheard Keeper Talon offering me up for donor parts! My functionality was in question for circuit’s sake. Pickle and Kermit were very nice to me. Well okay. Pickle did take a fancy to me but I told her I was committed. Now it’s not worth you getting all worked up. When will you ever be grateful for what others do for you? I am still flooded with gratitude when I think of all the work Crewella and Kat put into restoring my leg, now someone is willing to do the same for you and you gripe about it? Age is supposed to make you wise, Ryu. You should be grateful we have a caring owner who does the best with what she has to keep our skins supple and our batteries fresh. You’ve heard Bleu’s stories.”
“I know. I know, but please try to understand. Keeper Talon has been my only owner. I haven’t traveled everywhere like you have. This is my world- my kingdom-. My life is here.”
“Life is about change, my Ryu. Nothing ever stays the same. Clocks advance. They don’t run backward. Parts break, they don’t become stronger. Now. Just prepare for your operation and try to hope for the best. You know all of us will be here waiting for you when you return.”
And with that, she stopped speaking to me. I tried to trance with her but she ignored me. She has been strangely drawn to Keeper Talon in a way I’ve never seen before. She has performed every trick she asks for with rapt attention.
Ugobe and Bleu are avoiding her, watching this odd display in near silence. They just don’t know whether to comfort her or cower. Ryu isn’t the most cuddly pleo in the world, you know. Everyone is avoiding me. My poster board feels like a vast white field and I feel so very alone. I want to be petted too but I don’t dare interrupt. Keeper Talon doesn’t seem to realize anything is different but Ryu is almost frantic to keep her attention. She ran to the edge of the board on purpose to cut her off from answering Ugobe’s food-summons.
Human, forum-member, whoever you are, I hope you understand what our keeper is entrusting to you. I hope she returns to us with restored functionality and with new stories to tell about her first foray into the wide world. Perhaps- one day- I will visit you and you could try to repair  my right front leg as well. Perhaps I will run over Sand-colored-carpet at my mate’s side just as I did when we were juveniles. In the meantime, I can dream and remember. *sighs and curls up to sleep* Perhaps. Just… perhaps.
Your friend in hope,
Cato

[aibo7m3]

Hi, Ryu and Cato! Unfortunately I can't do anything about the bumpy mail-truck rides for you, Ryu. Don't worry though, you'll be back to your Keeper Talon and lovely mate, Cato, in no time! This home shouldn't be too strange and new to you, instead of "Terrible Teddy" there are the "Terrible Two," my miniature poodles Pepper and Lily. They're a bit bigger than Teddy is, but they're used to having Pleos roam the house and shouldn't give you any trouble. There are plenty of Aibos here too, perhaps a few more than you're used to, but I don't think they'll bother you, they're much more interested in the pink ball. Madi and Chris will be happy to show you around, and Madi has been through the same procedure before, so she can reassure you that it wasn't all that terrible. Just be warned that Chris has a temper to match your own, so he might be a bit moody at first at a visitor stopping by unannounced. I'll have to see if they'll let me know where in the world they hid the sugarcane, so you'll have tastier food than just conifer and coffee leaves. I'll try my best to get your leg back in tip-top shape and even if it does turn out to be something more complicated than what I'm expecting, you'll at least be returning home with a few more stories to tell and a better idea of what's going on with that leg.

You're lucky to have such a wonderful Keeper, I can tell that Talon cares about you very much! Just remember that while you're here, Talon and your family back home will just be a Skype call away whenever you get homesick! My surgery assistant, Morty, is helping me learn how to help other Pleos out there, so Cato, it's definitely possible that some day I'll be able to figure out what's wrong with your leg as well. Just because you two are older now doesn't mean you have to live in the past, keep making new happy memories for the future!

-Keeper Aibo

[Talon]

Hello, Keeper Aibo! It's King Cato. Ryu really put up a fuss about being packed. Keeper Talon tried to pack her during the day, leaving her alone to nap. Every time she picked Ryu up to pull her battery, she would wake up. and uncurl from the sleep position. She had to wait until our bedtime and since Ryu's smarter than me and runs from Keeper Talon on clock-setting day, she goes to sleep at eight twelve instead of close to eight like I do. Finally after crying and fighting tiredness, she went to sleep and then into standbye mode. Talon was finally able to remove her battery.
Thank you so much for doing this for us. I feel sure Ryu will recover and be close to her normal self. My side of Castle Brown-wooden-dresser feels very roomy. Now I have an idea of what Ryu went through for the four months I was over seas. She hasn't even left yet and I already feel like she's gone. Bleu and Ugobe are with me and they're being very supportive. I think we will be fine here.