Deli

Deli waited with bated breath as Archimedes woke up, unable to keep the shit-eating grin off of their face. They waited so *so* patiently for the rat to notice, eyes flicking to the twitching of his nose.

They nodded, grin widening. "Oh, yeah! Very intense!!" A moment more and, finally, finally, he turned around. The moment in which he realized what had happened was so so sweet and Deli burst out in a loud, obnoxious cackle. "Don't you look great, huh? It totally fits you! Rolling around talking about the peppermint sea or whatever! You were ridiculous!" They snorted and leaned forward, holding their stomach. "Gotcha!"

They laughed again at the deadpan question and oh how serious that rat looked right now! So not amused! That was okay, Deli would be amused for both of them! "Changed! It's a bit smelly in here isn't it? Ahahaha! You were looking soooo funny and sleepy that I just couldn't help myself! Not part of the 'experience' - just a little gift from me. The mirth died away slowly, though their eyes were still glowing from a prank well-executed. "It's not permanent - that would have just been rude!"

@Archimedes

Archimedes stared, for a beat, whiskers twitching. It might've seemed for a moment like he was perhaps offended, but when he at last spoke it was unrelated to the paint: "The... Peppermint Sea?"

Try as he might, he could remember nothing of it. Only vague, half-glimpsed images of--smells? "As for this, at least it will wash off," and it was slightly dour, but it was too late now. No point in crying over... smeared paint.

"I think you might find common ground, perhaps, with Bacchus. If you'd like to meet him--the tunnel to Cepheus. Might I see you there?"

He turned, slowly--as if hungover--crawling onto the Charger's head.

He'd never felt quite so strangely fuzzy in his life--and he wasn't thinking of his fur.

@Deli

Deli

Deli leaned back again, once again picking up the pebble to fidgit with it. "Ah yeah, the group. Any reason you gathering it, in particular?" They sniffed loudly. "'M not too good around large groups. But...I'll think about it. If its a way to sell my art, maybe. Both kinds." They snickered, as if this was a very funny joke. It wasn't really - they considered themselves an artist both in a traditional sense and in the pure creativity they had to make things. Dyes, paintings, and drugs all included.

They snickered to themselves at the almost lazy way Archimedes climbed back onto his snake. "Careful there, you might be feelin' a little woozy for a while after a trip like that!" Although it would be pretty funny if he fell off his horse snake.

He considered for a moment before he shrugged. "Eh, why not. Yeah, I'll be there. Might be funny."

@Archimedes

"Ahh, the group," he went on, still trying to shake off the fuzzy feeling the spores had given him--and were those toxic..? Hopefully not. "Providing services to others will ensure that the Organization I am forming--a set of procurers, so to speak--will be considered necessary by others in the cave. Will be... looked up to. Respected." He spoke mildly. He left 'feared' out.

"Imagine if there were things that only one group of Gembounds could get you? If you need certain hallucinogens--as I mentioned prior--or foods, services... Perhaps protection from certain threats. If that organization became indispensible, well. So would those within it." He was, he felt, speaking fairly well for someone with a hangover and paint on his face. He ran paws over his whiskers, reverting to his typical thoughtful gesture, only pausing when he saw his forelimbs come away with more paint on them.

He'd need a proper swim, he realized. Ahh well.

"Seeing as there is no such group, as yet, I'd thought... why not fill the niche?"

He paused, starting to turn the Charger away. "I'm going to go find some water to bathe in. You're welcome to accompany me--or to meet me at the tunnel, if you so choose. But might I suggest..." and here he paused, studying Deli with a thoughtful eye. "Scented or flavored dust? Perhaps with different effects. It might help differentiate your brands, and sell them more easily. I might even venture to say... 'Peppermint Sea' might be a grand first flavor. I suppose I should probably ask your name at this point..."

There was good-natured humor in his tone, and he did not leave just yet--waiting to see what Deli had to say.

@Deli (idm continuing in water or breaking it off here! poor man needs a bath)

Deli

Deli had to admit, the idea of being an indispensable part of the caves upinstead of just a simple nuisance was…nice. Hm! Maybe this would be his chance to turn things around, so to speak. Nobody had ever given him a second glance before. He could change that, if this all went the way the rat was saying. They didn’t respond directly to the long explanation, but their reaction was evidence in the sparkle of their eye and the way they stroked thoughtfully at the tuft of fur under their chin.

Well, this had been a fruitful meeting after all! Good thing they’d had such a bad trip. They wondered, if it had been a better experience, if they would have bothered conversing with a rat.

Deli snickered. ”Nah, you go ahead. Enjoy you bathtime. Although…hmmm, scented drugs? Make it like candy too? That might be kinda fun! Peppermint Sea…” They trailed off with another short huff of laughter, pulling out the little vial of their fungal magic and looking thoughtfully at the faintly prismatic dust.

They glanced back at Archimedes and snorted. ”Oh right! ‘M Deli! Nice to meet ya! I’ll see you in the tunnel I guess.” And he sat there and continued to think thoughtfully at his little bottle of magic.

*exit (?)

@Archimedes

Archimedes offered a rare, genuine curl of his lips--a brief flash of a smile, in humor.

"I will see you then, Deli. It was a pleasure meeting you." Then he was off, turning the serpent away in slow coils. He would enjoy his bath or at least, try. Well--not the bath itself.

But getting this rank paint off of his fur.

The little rat, perched on the not-very-large serpent, was soon faded into shadows to the tune of soft scales slithering dry against the rock.

Peppermint Sea, indeed.

exit Archimedes