Spaceship Parking, and then [Location Redacted], The Mainland, Wednesday Afternoon

[firstofitskind]

Liam had been deliberately vague in the note he'd left Verity on Christmas about where exactly they were going and why, but when they decided to make the trip he'd promised her today, he did make sure to mention that she'd want to dress for weather that was warm and humid.

He showed up shortly before the time they'd handwavily agreed to meet at the spaceship parking in the junkyard, just to quickly run his shuttle through pre-flight diagnostics.

[ooc: for the one who is mentioned!

Comments

[firstofitskind]

"Of course not," Liam shook his head. "And trust me, I know a unanimous consensus is a near-impossible feat. But if it's as inevitable as you seem to think, I'm sure they all have some idea of what's coming."

[arboreal_priestess]

"We're trying to get the information out," Verity explained, shaking her head. "Few of them are at the forefront of the sciences. My brother is still collecting the data. There are so many different types of cryptid and most of them are isolated and hidden."

[firstofitskind]

"That must be difficult," Liam said sympathetically. He'd been created to act as a bridge between humanity and other races, so letting this go didn't come easily to him, but... he was also an outsider when it came to Verity's world, and pushing his opinions on the matter wouldn't do much good.

Oh, the wisdom that being five years old brought you.

[arboreal_priestess]

It was a lot more wisdom and plenty of people accrued in their entire lives, so, good on Liam.

"It is," Verity said, recognizing Liam's backing off for what it was and appreciating it. "Maybe if things keep going well, I can introduce you around to a few different folks and we can see how they weigh in. Not the worst use of my time as a cryptozoologist, honestly."

[firstofitskind]

"I'd like that," Liam said with a smile.

[arboreal_priestess]

"If nothing else, I know a great Madhura bakery in Baltimore," Verity said with a chuckle. "It's pretty close to the studio I use to dance. I cannot come back after a practice without stopping in. It's impossible."

[firstofitskind]

"I'm never going to say no to sweets," Liam admitted. And then; "Madhura?"

[arboreal_priestess]

"Species of humanoid cryptids," Verity said. "They originated in India and survive on fructose the way humans do protein. Their presence in an area actually retards decay, so people who live near them have fewer cavities and their food lasts longer."

How? Who knew?!

"They're critically endangered and have no natural offensive capabilities, so their main methods of survival are scatter and blend."

[firstofitskind]

"And a bakery would be an excellent source of camouflage," Liam concluded. "Makes sense."

[arboreal_priestess]

"And also they make killer donuts, you don't even understand," Verity said with a rapturous expression. "I brought some home for my family for the holidays and they were sadder to see them go than me when the time came."

That was an exaggeration for her mother. It was god's honest truth for her little sister.

[firstofitskind]

"Well, I don't know if I believe the part about anyone not wanting your company," said the man who hadn't actually had a childhood, much less one with siblings.

[arboreal_priestess]

"And this is how I know you're an only child," Verity said, snickering. "Not that anyone has a little sister like Antimony."

Thank god.

[firstofitskind]

"Should I be glad?" Liam asked, raising an eyebrow. Weren't people supposed to like their siblings?

[arboreal_priestess]

Love? Absolutely. Like? Well, it was complicated.

As was Antimony.

"She likes to booby trap our bedrooms for our birthday," Verity explained. "This started when she was seven and she hasn't repeated a trap yet."

[firstofitskind]

As far as things to have in common with someone, "relative with a tendency to lay traps for me" was certainly a hell of a thing.

... Except Sandoval hadn't actually known he was Liam's father. And his traps tended to be more of the "pretend I gave you a functioning weapon before you face off with a deadly alien" variety. So probably not really all that similar after all.

"She sounds... intense," Liam decided after a beat of silence.

[arboreal_priestess]

"That's probably the best and most polite way to describe her," Verity said with a sigh. "I like dance. Alex likes reptiles and science. Antimony like comics, poison, and explosives."

[firstofitskind]

"So what you're saying is if I ever meet her, I should check my drink and also under my seat?" Liam checked.

[arboreal_priestess]

"I knew you were a smart guy," Verity said with an appreciative grin. "Also keep an eye out for snares and pit-traps. 'No snaring the bathroom before school' became a rule in our house for a reason." She sighed and added, "And so did 'clean up all snares in the bathroom before you go to bed,' about half a year later."

[firstofitskind]

"I'm hardly one to throw stones regarding atypical childhoods, all things considered, but that must have been one hell of a household to grow up in," Liam said, shaking his head.

[arboreal_priestess]

"The stories I could tell you," Verity said with a fond laugh. "Though I didn't realize how weird they were until we started school and we realized how tame and boring the other kids' games of hide and seek were."

What was even the point if you couldn't lay ambushes or dig pit traps?

She tilted her head. "Did you know that you were the only one when you were...maturing?" That seemed a good way to put it, right?

[firstofitskind]

"Yes," Liam nodded. "Ha'gel- my father- understood that he likely wouldn't live much longer past the Joining with my mother."

[arboreal_priestess]

Wordlessly, Verity reached up to twine her fingers with his, squeezing gently. Sympathy didn't seem entirely appropriate here, so she went instead for a quiet gesture of I'm here.

[firstofitskind]

Oh, just wait until he finally tells you something about his other father, Verity. That's a whole 'nother can of issue-filled worms. For now, though, he was just going to give her a small, grateful smile for that gesture. "I think the fact that I 'matured', as you put it, so rapidly is because I wouldn't have been able to influence the situation on Earth as a child? But I don't really know for sure." There were a lot of things about his Kimera side that he didn't really know for sure, to be honest.

[arboreal_priestess]

"Makes sense," Verity said. "People aren't inclined to listen to children and I don't know how much hand-to-hand combat you saw, but being child-size would be a distinct disadvantage."

One that could be overcome, sure, but why put in the extra effort if it wasn't necessary?

And then, to lighten the seriousness of her answer, she added, "Also, they probably wanted to skip the 'but whyyyyyyyyy?' phase of childhood."

[firstofitskind]

"I met Da'an when I tackled him to the ground in order to save him from being assassinated," Liam explained. "I suppose I might have been able to do that as a child, but he probably wouldn't have offered me a job afterwards. And... I may never have had a 'but why' phase, but during my first few days? I was very- blunt, I guess you could say. It took me a while to learn about the concept of a brain-to-mouth filter."