Stockholm Syndrome

The trip went great!

There was a last-minute jumbling of seat reservations on the train.  We were in the animal compartment, so it all worked out for us, but a couple of guys had to sit there with us unexpectedly.
They were amused by us, I'm sure, but they didn't really get what it's like having such an exotic pet.

That really made me think about how different this is from what people are used to see.  I'm sort of in an echo chamber where most of my friends are aware of my exotic pet and how it all works, so I don't really think much about how it looks to outsiders.

It sort of hit me on the train to Stockholm.  She is becoming mine, and it feels like nothing else.
The trust she displays, laying against me to sleep.  The warmth, both physical and emotional, is unlike anything else in the world.

I mean, this is essentially a wild animal, bonding with me in this way.  Accepting my guidance and leadership in even the small things, and for the weekend it really felt like I could guide her and let her guide me.  As I get to know her better and better she inspires me to do better and be better.  She accepts me as I am, and I have nothing but warm feelings for her because of it.  Of course, pet owners know what I mean.  Those eyes, saying "Master, tell me what you want!" are like nothing else in the universe.

When we got to the hotel I had some trouble checking in.  Just a minor glitch in their system that made the check-in take a little longer.  I could tell she was getting a little bored with the whole thing, but rather than just do random stuff to amuse herself she displayed excellent patience and just waited for me to get everything cleared up.  The room was absolutely great, and fit our needs just perfectly.
During the unpacking I saw real happiness in her eyes when she noticed the toys I had packed for her, and the snacks I had brought.  I literally brought more snacks than she could ever eat during the weekend.  We played around a little, and then we went to a friend's place to visit.

After a while I could tell she was just worn out from being at the friend's house.  She almost fell asleep right there.  We went back to the hotel, and after a bit of a cuddle she fell asleep for real.  I woke up a couple of times during the night, and I was happy to see she was sleeping soundly next to me, as the Saturday would be a long day for the both of us.

When we had finished breakfast, we went into Stockholm City Center to pick up some things I needed for the party that night.  Tails behaved perfectly the whole time, and while there were some incidents of playful mischief it never even approached the line.  She got really excited when we entered a store to pick up some things for her, but the whole time she followed my guidance.  It was simply a wonderful day out on the town.

I guess she had some frustration building up or something, because when we got back to the hotel she willfully disobeyed me, and not in a playful way either.  She went completely against my instruction, completely disregarding me.  Of course I corrected her on it, and I could tell she accepted being corrected.  In fact, I think me drawing a line and being clear that she crossed it brought us closer. From the look in her eye I think she felt guilty about the whole thing, but with a bit of cuddling I hope she knows that it's all sorted out and that it is resolved for ever.

After all of that it was time to get ready for the party we were in Stockholm to attend.  I groomed her so she was feeling all shiny, and strutted about confidently.  She could tell something big was about to happen, so she started to get nervous just before we left.  I assured her it would be all right, and she was pretty calm when we finally went to the party.

Once there, she started to tense up a little.  I guess it's the new experience of being in close proximity to so many people with similar interests to mine, some of them with exotic pets of their ownm that made her tense.  She was basically climbing on me, staying close to me as if she was glued on.  It felt absolutely spectacular that she could face such a new and unfamiliar situation and find comfort in me and my guidance.

The party in itself was not that great, but just being there with her was awesome.  I tried striking up conversations with people there, but seeing as I'm not a member of their club and came from out of town, I guess they were a little apprehensive.  Normally people don't travel that far for parties, and they are usually only for members, so I guess we were outsiders in their eyes, even if I clearly had similar interests to them, and my pet fit right into the whole theme of the party.
Still, we stayed the whole night, and I socialized as best I could.  I think I've picked up another friend, but we'll see how it turns out and if we keep in touch at all.

When we arrived back to the hotel I made sure Tails was fed before I turned in, and after a bit of a cuddle we both fell asleep.  In the middle of the night, however, she woke me up.  It feels great that she would do that.  Being sleepless is no fun for anyone, and she is not at all used to living in a hotel with all the strange surroundings it brings, so that she would turn to me when she has trouble sleeping is absolutely great.  After a cuddling for a while, we both fell asleep again, and we didn't wake up until it was almost time to check out.

Scrambling to make the check-out time I left some grooming supplies and one of her favorite toys in the room, but luckily I caught my mistake before it was too late, and I retrieved it before we had to go.

When I finally made it down to the city center I realized that my suitcase just had to go.  It was old and worn, and the handle was broken, so I had to pull it along at a slightly odd angle.  Dealing with that and a slightly mischievous red panda at the same time was not working out, so I bought a new one.  That was long overdue anyway, and Tails was largely very well behaved through the whole thing.  I have to say, though, that department stores are not really her thing.  That's fine, I'm not overly fond of them myself.  She did, however, enjoy the fake, painted-on paw prints that led to and from the exits.

Before we had to get on the train I sat down at a cafe to get some coffee and relax a little.  While there, we ran into someone I've never seen before, but that Tails clearly knew.  It was a happy reunion.  They had met at one of the conventions Tails' current owner enjoys going to.

Finding our way to the train, and getting on board, was uneventful.  The train ride home, however, had a significant delay.  Due to a power failure, or a signal malfunction, or whatever else they could come up with as a reason, we were stuck in the middle of nowhere for several hours.  Tails rested, enjoyed her food and didn't really seem to mind, but when we finally got off the train she was clearly cranky.  A little fresh air did wonders, and after making sure she was well fed we crawled off to get some sleep.

She fell asleep curled up next to me, and I could tell she had enjoyed being my pet for the weekend.