[color=fff200][i][h2]Corrie Strickman[/h2]
[h3]The Warren[/h3][/i][/color]

Corrie the "speckled hen" hopped down from her booth seat, reflexively splaying her wings out to soften the short animal's impact with the floor, as usual. She dug her wallet out of her backpack and began walking toward the bar. On the way, she caught a glimpse of a familiar student. The skunk with glasses and silky white hair was impossible to mistake for someone else. Corrie was certain she had a class with this woman... but she couldn't think which one off the top of her head. She tended to focus more on the actual course material than the details and social lives of her classmates.

Corrie looked at the back of the skunk girl's head... Melody, maybe?...as she walked closer. If this girl shared a class with her, then she may also be an immutable nerd. And if Melody was quiet enough to fade into the background, then perhaps she could be a decent fit for the quiet and thoughtful game of chess - or at least, if necessary, be gently coerced into one brief event.

The sunglasses-clad hen took in a deep breath, steeling herself to say something...and then she passed right by the booth without saying a word. After all, the skunk was already having a conversation with someone else, and she wouldn't know who Corrie was, and... the owl sighed and blushed a bit before finishing her trip to the bar with a defeated slump. The avian requested an order of crispy maggot poppers with ranch, making sure to add an overly sweet "hun" at the end to lend more credence to her hen disguise.

Corrie kept her head down as she waited at the bar, ruminating on her shameful failure to attempt [b]the slightest social gesture.[/b] But eventually, the embarrassing thought faded to the back burner... as other shameful faux pas over the past several years took its place like a revolving carousel of failure. The bird ignored the other patrons at the bar and only snapped out of her reverie for a second as a peppy dog walked right behind her. His sudden voice startled Corrie and she -almost- swiveled her head around. The "hen" was able to stop herself just in time, but she tensed with widened eyes. A macabre mishap like that would [i]certainly[/i] cause the sort of attention Corrie did not want.

Thankfully, a rhinoceros arrived with her maggot poppers a minute later. Corrie mumbled a quick [color=fff200]"thank you, hun"[/color] as she grabbed the cardboard container and began heading back to her corner booth. As she neared the skunk's table, her beak began to dry all over again. She would have to relive that dreadful failure all over again. Unless, this time, she... said... [i]anything...[/i] yes, she would do it, she must!

Corrie put on a hopefully not too nervous smile and stopped by the skunk's booth. Then she froze like a statue. [b]Oh no,[/b] her vast vocabulary! Her typical habit of pausing to think of the most precise and impressive words would surely foil her here! The definitely-a-hen almost shorted out for a moment as her initial ideas for words had to go through an intelligence filter and then through another feigned country gal filter.

[color=fff200]".......Howdy,"[/color] Corrie finally greeted. [color=fff200]"Uhh, are yo-...y'all planning to attend the Winter Carnival, perchance?"[/color]

[@LostButterfly92]