Welcome to Eden [Free Threading]

[spartanjohn_117]

Hydroponics is an interesting place. Surprisingly, the name that brings forth the image of a sterile plant-growing lab actually belongs to a massive green space unrivaled by any of the grassy stretches of the city. There are trees here. Flowers. Weeds, even. Some from Earth, some clearly not due to shape, color, or some other strangeness.

It's not

Comments

[things_go_boom]

Plants! Bah! Sure Lash had Commanding Officer power bonuses in them, but she was much more at home in the cold, dark, metallic and cement walls of the Black Hole's..and now Stacy's dark corridors.

Still, she could use the break and after the announcement, had hopped over from her tinkering into the special area, enjoying the fresher air. The scene took her breath away, although she'd never admit that to anyone. What strange alien trees and creatures! What...hey what in the world was that that had just popped out from the earth nearby?!

She felt a kinship since her Japanese name was Cat It was too much, even for a battle-hardened wunderkind. She couldn't help but give out a little coo at the terribly cute monster, and poked curiously at it. The creature responded by beeping joyfully and forming itself into a ball form, which rolled off a little. Lash couldn't help but start chasing after it.

Hopefully no one was looking at her right now. Hopefully.

[morphitudinous]

It's nigh impossible to do something on this ship unseen. Especially if you truly, seriously wish to remain unseen.

Luckily for Lash, the delighted and cheerful Billy isn't one to judge. Instead, he watches both oddly endearing animal and strangely compelling Lash pass. They loop around, and when the strange creature comes back Billy tries to lend a hand.

"Hey," he says quietly, crouching and offering his hand to the small thing. It sniffs, then bounces back over toward Lash.

"I'm not sure whether these creatures imprint on the first human they meet, but this one seems to like you," he observes.

[things_go_boom]

"Hey," she greets the fellow scientist with a wave of the hand. Billy was just lucky Lash didn't even think that he might have noticed, or else he might have been in a sorer state.

"I've never had an animal do that before," she admits, giving the strange creature a tentative pat on the head. It beeped back at her. "I mostly used mice for science experiments so they weren't exactly too happy to see me, if you know what I mean. And Flak counted as a guinea pig, teeheehee..." Lash, maybe one day you'd stop being creepy. One day.

[morphitudinous]

Billy watches Lash and the grub-mole with interest, fighting back a smile when it beeps. He'll have to be unknowingly grateful for the rest of time that she hadn't chosen to attack him.

"I had a mouse as a test subject as well. His name was Jack. None of the tests had a noticeable impact on his health, thankfully, but he did succeed in scaring the local bullies. Ah...I'm guessing Flak wasn't an actual guinea pig. What were they?"

As he talks, he notes another grub-mole coming out of its hiding space. Nibbling on a piece of food, this one brushes against Billy's leg and nudges his knee. "I'm not sitting on your food, am I?" The mole gets a pat, and this one beeps too.

[magnetlips]

Cassie approached slowly and as quietly as she could so she wouldn't scare any of them off.

"What are they?" She asked softly, trying to contain her enthusiasm. "They're so cute." She grinned.

[morphitudinous]

Glancing up at the sound of another crew member approaching, Billy looked behind Lash and nodded a hello to Cassie. "I don't know," he whispered, "but I'll try to find out. Stacy, can you identify these creatures for us?"

||Those are Kyth Grub-Moles||, Stacy answered, providing helpful information for once.

Billy smiled, whispered a 'thank you', and continued to play with his grub-mole. The one under his hands seemed to beep cheerfully as he rocked it, so a roll followed. More delighted beeps and nudging of the human's legs. "They've come up to hunt for food, I believe, but they also seem to like human attention."

Would you like to try it, Cassie? Because there may be one chasing some food near you.

[magnetlips]

"Ohhhh they're adorable." Cassie crouched and held out her hand near the grub mole, letting it sniff if it so desired before slowly patting it on the head. "So cute!"

[morphitudinous]

Billy's answer was initially restrained to a wide smile as he watches them. They really are cute. Before long, though, his own grub mole was quite satisfied and squirmed up onto his lap.

"Hey buddy," he laughed, arranging it comfortably. "You're right, they're certainly charming."

[things_go_boom]

Lash waved a quick salute to the new arrival, not even bothering to ask for her name or who she was. SORRY but she was distracted by the cute, although by all logic she should already have a scalpel and be dissecting him. Stacy would stop her before she tried anyway, she reasoned with herself. That was a perfect reason not to do anything and just let it slowly crawl up her next as it tried to bury itself in her hair.

"...I wonder if we could sneak them out of hydroponics, or if they confined to this area..." She wondered, somewhat aloud.

[magnetlips]

Cassie was similarly preoccupied with the cute. "We'd have to make sure we have their food. And they might get lonely. Maybe." The grub mole she was petting sprawled itself out on the ground, letting her pet it more. "Oh my God, I want one."

[morphitudinous]

Billy nodded to the women, happily scritching his own grub mole. One was finding a nest in Lash's hair, the other was cooing and rolling with Cassie, and Billy's?

Nestled over his legs, beeping with contentment. Smiling at it, he mutters "We can ask Stacy? I'd prefer to keep them in their environment"---as if on cue Billy's mole curled more tightly around his leg---"but they may like small outings."

[things_go_boom]

"Well it's not like we'd be moving them out too much of their environment," Lash proposed before realizing what she said. These creatures were certainly distracting.