surepetey

[surepetey]

"I... yeah, I mean, that's impressive." He couldn't deny that dealing with a beast -- and a rarity -- like that was... yeah, pretty impressive. Even if they had guns and weapons and all that good stuff, it was still a total anomaly. "I'm glad you guys got out." From his understanding, those things were no joke! Ah, the reasons it was so much easier to be a janitor... It was fair. Whether she told them or not, Petey was going to worry. "It's... I mean, of course I'm gonna worry no matter what -- it's the wastelands. I just -- I don't wanna lose another friend." Scout was pretty much the only one they had at that point! Oh, sure, there were friendly acquaintances, but real friends? They didn't know what they would do if the lost another to the wastes! "Please, Scout -- just tell me when things like this happen."

"That was my thought, too." It would be just her team's luck to stumble across a giant man (and mutant) eating worm. But, hey, that was the job. There were assumed risks including giant worms. A crazy thought for most, but a reality for the people in her Sector. It paid well, but boy it wasn't always glamorous. "Clearly we made it out, though. That's kind of impressive, right?" More like a perfect storm of miracles and gunfire. Petey has a point. It's probably worse to keep secrets and avoid him than tell him about what chaos descended upon her that day. But, at the same time... "Well, you know it's kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't. You worry regardless. I just don't feel like I always know what the right answer is." Was there even a right answer to all of this? They were grieving, both in their own ways. Would it really just be drawing things back up to tell him every time something bad happened to her out in the wastes. Sandworms were anomaly, sure. But there were plenty of other things she faced down that she didn't bring up in casual conversation over lunch.

[surepetey]

A pang of sadness hit Petey, perhaps even a pang of guilt for bringing it up. They knew that the meteor had been devastating -- that millions had lost their lives, and millions had had their lives turned upside down. But they were so distant from it, it just felt like another thing jotted down in a history book. All they wanted to know was when the ocean, as it was once known, became nearly uninhabitable ( or if there was still some real water out there, beyond just the spring ), but they supposed they had inadvertently unearthed rather unpleasant memories. "I'm sorry." They knew that that was always... kind of a weird thing to say to people who had lived through traumatic events, but it was hard to think of anything else on the spot. "I -- I can't imagine." They really couldn't. But a question sprang to mind... one that had the potential to make it better, but also had the potential to make it worse. They would usually err on the side of caution... "Is anyone from your zoo still around?"

kali waits patiently for them to resurface. here in her happy place, she's even more patient than she is in the outside world. which is to say... her insides match her outsides. nice and calm. "oh... i do and i don't. i was different at the time. i remember pacing, staring up at the second sun in the sky... but i didn't know what was going on. i didn't know even what i lost, for a long time." the virus had not made her peaceful, not at first. less aggressive than many of her zoo-mates, now long dead—if not in body, then in mind—but not the gentle figure she is today. "i remember that the sun disappeared first. that killed quite a lot. i remember the stench of it everywhere. all my handlers stunk of death and fear... and then they stopped coming. the ground shook. my pool drained. and then..." she trails off, licking at her paws. it's not easy to talk about the disease that had claimed her, even if it had eventually proven a boon. "well, you know the rest of it. i suppose to answer your question... also a yes and no. it wasn't to me. i'm sure for a lot of other things, it was."

[surepetey]

"No, nobody ever told me. I, uh, don't think anyone really knows." Mutants just... did weird things, right? Petey knew their mutation was related to the monotreme that was the platypus (how they wished they could see one one day... maybe, just maybe, there still was one walking around!), but they hadn't really ever dug into why platypuses sweated milk... so they didn't really know why they did, and it was safe to assume everyone around him was in the same boat! Who knows? The feeling of this guy's rough tongue against their skin was, once again, a very strange one. Never did they think they would find themselves in a circumstance where a man was actively licking their sweat, yet here they were! If he never had a kid, someone might as well get use out of it, right? "Really?" Petey asked with genuine interest. This guy was weird, but he was interesting... and they had definitely never met someone who likened themselves to him. "What, uh, what do you do?"

"nobody ever told you?" he wrinkles his nose, a little confused. sure, he doesn't know most of what goes on with himself, either... but he's always been told. could probably repeat the words, even if they all end up gibberish to him. the idea that someone just doesn't know why something happens to him is too familiar strange! but as with all things, ed's interest in the subject wanes quickly, overpowered by the urge to go in for another taste. now with permission, he even does, snagging petey's arm between his clawed hands and lapping up every bit of milk he can. it's strange. there's something recognizable about it. he can almost feel it calling out to him, in some weird, genetic way. he could do it too. he could. if he wanted. pulling off, ed wipes his mouth and straightens up. "you're kinda like me," he says, definitively. "just... limited."

[surepetey]

"It's -- it's okay, I understand." Petey didn't exactly know if there was such a thing as true fame in Sol City, but the musicians and actors in Sector Nine were always something to be marveled at. "I, uh -- yeah, getting stared at can be uncomfortable." They used to hate it! But they had gotten very used to it! Yes, little child, I do have a duck bill and a beaver tail! "I just, y'know, don't see the more... 'famous' Sector Nine artists that much!"

"Well, I only bite if you deserve it." She had learned quickly what her voice could do, and even faster how to control. The hypnotic effects were saved for desperate measures. Not for earning recognition throughout this one settlement she had landed in by chance. "Sorry to get snippy, you can never be too careful."

[surepetey]

"A sandworm?" Petey couldn't help her job assignments and Petey couldn't tell her she should move jobs. She was far more than capable of making her own decisions! ...They just wished that so many of them didn't nearly cost her her life. Did they want her to have fun? To do what she loved doing, take all the adventures she loved taking? Yes. But at the expense of her safety? Man, having Scout as a best friend sure was stressful. She wasn't wrong, though! Indeed, Petey was now worried and milky (and hoping that the guy who licked him the other day wouldn't come up to lick him again... that was interesting...). "I... man, I know you can't really choose your assignments or really predict sandworms, but I just wish you'd tell me about stuff like this when it happens." They'd still be worried and milky, but maybe they'd grow accustomed enough that they wouldn't be as worried and milky! "I just -- it's scarier when I don't know if you're okay than when I do know you aren't." The bangs were great, though. 10/10.

Petey really did deserve better friends. Or a more emotionally and mentally stable one at least. She can see it on their face that this was not the ideal reunion. In her defense, though, it also wasn't hers. Her's involved a little more recovery, and some intense coverage over her new pink scar. "Well, hey, no reason to worry! Here I am, in the flesh." She tries to butter the whole situation up before giving her explanation, because it will certainly go down about as well as a shot down drone. "It's nothing much, honest. There was just... a sandworm that gave us some trouble on our last mission, and I caught a rogue tooth to the forehead. But, I've been given a clean bill of health, and now I've got a great reason to keep bangs in style." Why she hadn't thought to cut them before was beyond her. "I would have told you, but I figured you'd get all worried and milky and stuff, and it really wasn't worth it."

[surepetey]

Petey would be lying if they said they hadn't been growing increasingly worried about Scout's absence. They had looked for her in their free time -- really, they had! -- and they had done their best to reach out... but it seemed like it hadn't been enough... and they weren't very keen on losing yet another friend to the Wastes! Although they had gotten completely ready to finally steel himself and just talk to Ngelah, they were spared by Scout right in front of them! "Scout! Oh man, I've been worried." A wave of relief instantly washed over them... though it was soon taken over by a twinge of annoyance, and more than a twinge of worry. Sheesh, why did he have to love her company? Life would be a lot less stressful if she weren't their best friend! Petey tapped on their forehead, about the spot Scout's new scar was in. "What, uh... what happened here?"

@surepetey

"Oh!" Scout turned to find Petey standing in front of her. Scout hadn't exactly been avoiding Petey. That felt like too big of a word. Dodging felt closer. And, not because of him... more because of the reaction he would have had to seeing her forehead all stitched and bandaged. She had just wanted to wait until it had healed a little more, because she knew he'd launch into his whole worrier thing. She had managed to not see him until after the stitches came out. But there was still the nasty business of the pink scar on her forehead. "I... haven't seen you in a while."

[surepetey]

"Uh..." Petey had never really questioned the way their anatomy worked. Some things just did what they did, and some things just did or did not exist. It had been at least a decade since they'd been asked why they sweated milk! "I'm not really sure, actually. I just... do, I guess." Can I taste it again? It was possible this would go down in history as one of the more interesting encounters Petey had ever had. And it was also possible this would go down in history as one of the more interesting things Petey allowed. "Uh... sure?" The stranger seemed surprisingly harmless (he wasn't, but... you know, when you're more like an animal than a man, you also don't seem harmful -- so how would Petey know that Ed gets silly for fun!), and he was clearly a mutant who was just curious, so Petey braced themself for the stranger's rough tongue against their skin.

"you sweat milk?" ed asks, head cocked to one side. "why?" he can, of course, guess that petey is a mutant—looks aside, he even smells like one—but that seems strange even to him. ed himself rarely even sweats, more often driven to panting like a dog. maybe he should try it. sweating milk. what if it's something he can do? almost forgetting his manners, he leans in again for another lick. at least it's only almost—he stops halfway through said lean. "can i taste it again? i want to see if i can figure it out."

[surepetey]

"Oh -- oh! -- sorry, I didn't mean to, uh..." See, it was not uncommon for Petey to be the victim of a lingering pair of eyes ( not in the 'good' way ), but they had grown rather numb to it. However, to realize that they had been a lingering pair of eyes? (Albeit, for a much less... insulting reason.) "Sorry, I just -- I really like your work and I didn't know if I could, uh, approach you or if that would be rude or..." Well, they supposed she had approached him, right?

@surepetey

"You looking at something, kid?" He probably was only a few years younger than her. But, hey, staring was rude! Bea would call it out when given the chance.

[surepetey]

For all of the weird things that happened in Sol City -- man, for all of the weird things that happened in general! -- none could have prepared for Petey feeling a rough tongue licking their skin, seemingly out of nowhere! Jerking away on instinct, it took them a moment to process the question... and wonder whether they should answer it or not... Rubbing the spot that had been licked by a man, Petey formed a question of their own! "Is there...- " Wait, never mind -- they had met enough mutants with interesting thought processes to know that, no, there probably wasn't any reason they would understand for why they would be licked. "Uh... it's hot today - " - not that it wasn't always, but it seemed a little above their threshold now - " - and I... sweat milk." For once, that was not the weirdest part of an interaction!

starter for @surepetey !!

unsurprisingly, it's difficult to ignore the feeling of a tongue—especially a rough one—on your arm. that doesn't stop ed from being irritated that he's interrupted. "you just... why do you taste like that?"

[surepetey]

How superb! In barely a month, Petey had gone from only having their imagination to two sources of real water! -- that spring right on the outskirts of town, and now Kali's... uh, house? -- details didn't matter! In their unspoken elation, they could not help but execute a slightly sloppy corkscrew roll, not unlike an alligator (something Petey decidedly was not...). The question! "Do you remember when it all, like... I don't know -- disappeared?" That didn't seem like the right way to phrase it, but was that not how it felt? "Like... after the meteor, was it just, like, immediately uninhabitable?"

"the door is always open, dear. and not just because they can be hard for me to open," she teases, gently. it's not uncommon for people to react to kindness—or even simple courtesy—with surprise... especially those that don't exactly fit the norm. as a bear, kali isn't particularly well-versed in empathy ( for other species, specifically ) but sapience has granted her a little taste. poor thing. there had been platypuses in her zoo, she supposes, but now he is much like she is—the last of their kind. "you can ask me anything you like," she continues, setting a soft stare back upon him. she has to remember that people like eye contact, too.

[surepetey]

As a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of action cleaning, there wasn't much that topped water -- like, actual water that you could actually swim in that was actually real -- in the department of exciting! Petey hadn't been able to stop thinking about that spring that Nova had showed them (that Max had showed her!) -- it had been nothing short of magnificent! And, while not necessarily naturally occurring? Oh, they were no less enthralled by the water they were in now, accompanied by a talking polar bear (which wasn't much to question -- if they could talk with a beak, why couldn't a polar bear talk?). "I -- I mean, if the door's open..." If the door was open for them to go over more often, they weren't gonna close it! "Can I... ask you a question, though? About the water? Or, I guess, water in general?"

starter for @surepetey !!

"you should come over more often," she remarks, floating on one of her floaties. it's durable enough to support her weight, as well as her claws. "you'd be surprised how good a swim is for the mind."

[surepetey]

Petey was not a car platyperson, nor were they a motorcycle playperson, nor were they... really anything but a tram platyperson. Nonetheless, they had found themself rather curious, mentally inspecting the vehicle that the man before him was... actually inspecting. And they were snagged! "Oh! No, no -- I just, I was curious. Is it the, uh... is it the engine?"

@surepetey

"Oh come on, you piece of sh-" he stopped as he felt a presence near him before turning around and smiling awkwardly. "Sorry, this is a normal thing for me. Anyways, what's up? Can I help with something?" he asked as he placed the wrench down and walked towards them

[surepetey]

"I -- yeah, yeah, I'm -- geez, I'm sorry about that." Incredible how a beautiful woman could stun Petey into 'geez' territory! Apparently the practice he'd gotten with Ezra ( so to speak ) had not stuck... which was bad news for if they ever saw Ezra again... man, they did not have enough charm for all the pretty people in the world! Anyway... Why were they there again? -- Oh! "I -- I was wondering the, uh, like, history of water? Its, uh... presence?" Come on, Peter -- phrase it better! "Like, the natural cool water that was all around before the meteors? You, uh, with the history -- is it all gone?"

A lot of her job is fun, it's research and getting lost in old writings and artworks, it's excavating and speaking with the dead to gain clarity on a world lost to time and ruin. However, there's a part of the job that she hates, loathes with her entire being- grading. It's not that her students work isn't good, a lot of those who study under Professor King share her parrion for unearthing the worlds lost secrets. It's more she can't stand reading the same recycled, re-worded paragraphs twenty times over and assigning them points based on who used the fanciest words, or the most notarised sources. She's sat at her desk, both elbows upon the wooden surface with her hands buried in her hair as she reads the same sentence over and over again wondering if she should deduct points for her students misspelling of bourgeoisie or assign points for the fact they used it correctly in a sentence. The sudden speaking of her name causes her to jump and she looks to the intruder with surprise, mingled with irritation as she regards them with a critical gaze. "Usually people who have questions for me, have the courtesy to knock before they enter my space." she chides, sitting back in her chair and reaching for her mug to take a sip of her, now cold, coffee. "But you're lucky I need a distraction right now. What can i help you with?"

[surepetey]

Man, if Petey could do what Ezra did -- walk through walls, wave away stall keepers -- they... actually would not use it to its full advantage, they would feel far too guilty -- but it was still amazing! Man, Ezra was amazing! They took the offered cider and nodded along as Ezra explained its origin, so to speak. Alright, Peter, be confident. Alright, show him that you don't just have to rely on the platyrizz. Petey raised their glass ever so slightly, so ready to be so confident! "To, uh..." Damn. "To tradition!" ...Was that a save or had they already fumbled too hard?

"brilliant. absolutely brilliant." ezra is happy to recall their delightfully webbed hands, swinging in tow as he leads them over to the stall he's been eyeing. something warm and... um, potent. "it's cider," he says, handing over a mug, waving away any attempts for the stall keeper to get payment out of him. they're human, so it works. no problem at all. "people are keen on it back where i'm from. bit warm out in these parts for it, but... who am i to deny tradition?"

[surepetey]

Petey chuckled ( would one dare say that they giggled? ) at Ezra's response, no clue why anyone would never want to see him again! Perhaps they were being idealistic, and perhaps they knew that on a deeper scale, but... Ezra was nice to them, Ezra was charming, Ezra was funny, etc etc etc... Therefore, Petey took Ezra's offered hand ( and they hoped they would not start sweating -- didn't need the milk to ruin it ) and shook their head. Despite some of their more reptilian attributes, they were warm-blooded and were looking almost akin to Randy from A Christmas Story. "No, no -- definitely not too warm. I'm -- I'm happy with a nice, warm drink."

ezra chuckles sensibly—even charmingly, some ( mostly him ) might say. "you wouldn't believe how often i hear that," he teases, if only half. there are certainly plenty of people who don't want to see him again! he dares to think petey here isn't one of them. "fantastic," he says, after holding out a hand for peter to take. "i've got just the stall in mind, too. nice, warm drink—err, you're not too warm, are you? 'fraid i run a little colder than most."

[surepetey]

"If it comes down to it, five seconds will be enough for me to flip my shoes off." Although it was said in jest, Petey had practiced it! They had actively timed it again and again and again! There was no real reason for it, it wasn't like it could do anything but kill some bugs, but... it killed time ( and Petey had a lot of time ). Of course, actually entering the Wastes was something else entirely. They'd seen pictures of it, they'd heard stories about it, but they'd only ever stepped platyfoot in them maybe twice before -- even if just the outskirts! Nonetheless, Petey forced the thought out of their mind. This was gonna be water! And, man, it was water! Petey's mouth ( bill? ) hung agape, eyes darting from the spring to Nova to the spring to Nova to the spring to-. They dipped a foot in -- oh man, it wasn't boiling! "So this is safe to swim in?"

"Well, hopefully we'll know soon enough in advance to be able to run away." Nova's eyes flashed her deer shaded blue as they approached the wastes, just checking. She was almost always on alert the closer she got to the edge of Sol City. The wastes were no laughing matter, and there was only so much anyone could do to prepare for the dangers. Having super senses always helped, though. "But, if we do end up in a fight, I'll count on it. Come on, it should only be a few minutes this way." They weave through the wastes, Nova doing so with practiced grace before breaking the endless landscape in favor of the little watering hole she had spoken so highly of. "Here it is!"

[surepetey]

"I -- okay..." Feeling the weapon in their pocket, too wary to so much as grasp the handle (fuck it, platypus with a weapon), their free hand rubbed the back of their neck. "I just -- is there anyone like that available right now? I'm trying to, uh, get something back where it, like... belongs, I guess?"

“ on the clock, yes. which i'm currently not. if it's something you need identified right away, you're better off asking someone else who specializes in weapons. ” after-hours were specifically set aside for cruising and nothing else. undeterred by anyone within his group and especially by a total stranger.