"Okay,", Bowie said, crouching so Sploo could get on.

They took off at a leisurely trot, ears perked as they picked a direction and walked that way, humming happily.

"Hey Sploo,", they said, "You're my only friend... which makes you my best friend."

They smiled and picked up the pace, not at all minding the claws on their back. Their fur was thick enough to withstand it. The capybara stopped in front of another pool.

"Sploosh?", they asked, pointing with a paw at it.

@Catafay

YESSSSSSSSS!!! THIS was what LIFE was ABOUT, gentlefolks! Sploo was riding on the back of a friend and they were OFF TO THE RACES!! It was thrilling, a most perfect experience, everyone simply had to try it!

Sploo nodded in his funny, vigorous way yet again at Boo's observation. Once again, Boo proved to only speak the truth and nothing but the truth! That was kind of funny, since Sploo lied so often. "Yes! Yes! And because our names rhyme you are my best friend too!" It kind of made Sploo feel bad that Boo didn't know his real name, but if Boo knew his real name, their names wouldn't rhyme anymore!

What was a real name anyway?!

Another pool was met, and Sploo lit up and Boo's suggestion. "YESSSS! SPLOOOOSH! You really get me Boo, you really do! But we can't stay in here for long because there are no friends in sight! And where there are no friends, we simply cannot stick around, that's not our quest!" After such a spiel, Sploo eagerly hopped from the big friend's back into the pool.

Sploosh!

@Bowie

Bowie splashed in after Sploo, shaking their head out as they dove beneath the water to resurface on Sploo's other side.

"Well, if we get tired we have to rest,", they reasoned, "And if we're with each other, does that count? Then we can take as many rests as we need. We're young, after all."

Bowie watched Sploo sploosh around and sat down in the water, finding it funny how his tail wagged every time her resurfaced.

"I'm excited to meet others,", they said, before laying down in the water too cool off, the Canis air a bit much even for them.

And boy did they not enjoy the sand all that much. They much preferred the mud and muck of Eridanus.

@Catafay

"True," said Sploo, head turning to follow Boo's movement. Sploo didn't entirely understand what Boo meant about being with each other and that counting. He decided not to parse through it, and instead pretend like he understood. "Yes! Very young are we!"

"Meeting others is so fun. I, being the twentieth Splooshino Rockasaurus, and the only Sploo, have obviously met... many! We shall meet many together, and we shall make them laugh!" Sploo himself then laughed, as if it were an example. "And if they don't laugh, we'll just laugh AT them!"

Sploo swim-scooted over to his friend. "We should only be friends with funny creatures, Boo. I'm sure there are many!"

Moments later, Sploo wobbled out of the pool. He was bouncing around like he couldn't stand still. "We should go far! Far out of here! Far far far and wide wide wide! We can sploosh in any pool, but we can't make friends anywhere! Let's gooooo!" Was Sploo being impatient? Yes, yes he was. He was excited! Psyched up for this journey! And yes, while the identity he was going by was supposed to be all about splooshing in pools, it was getting kind of stale.

Because Catafay himself really did want to go on this quest! No lies, no stories. This was a TRUE tale, one he and Boo would make all on their own! Together! And he just couldn't wait for it to START!

@Bowie

Bowie yawned and nodded, standing up again, "Okay."

They listened to Sploo ramble before suddenly speaking, "Do you have a real name?"

"And laughing at people isn't very nice,", they said, "It will make them feel bad and they won't want to be your friend because they'll think you're mean. And you're not mean."

Bowie got Catafay on their back and made off again, back towards... uh... where they thought Eridanus was. They weren't sure, but that was okay.

@Catafay

Boo got out of the pool. Heck yeah!! This was HAPPENING!!!

What else was happening was a question about Sploo's real name. The puffin thought about it for a bit. Did he really want to just... give that away? He'd never actually told anyone yet. And uh, he wanted their names to rhyme... MMMMMM

"Diamond-Omega!! A weapon gave me that name. I can talk to weapons by the way." That sounded like a fair enough answer. "OH but I guess you should call me... Omegoo? So it still rhymes." Yeah! Omegoo sounded cool and funny.

Laughing at people wasn't nice?! What was Boo talkin' about! Laughing at people was a wonderful experience! "You should always--" but then Boo explained. Omegoo huffed a little haughtily. "Yeah, I guess." Friends were good. Being mean was... well it had a lot of comedic potential but if Boo called it bad then Omegoo supposed he should also consider it to be bad. "But it's funny when people do silly things! Like try to be serious and then trip and fall! Or-- or, Boo, try saying 'bubble' in an angry voice! Can you do it? Imagine accidentally getting tricked into doing it!! That's funny. I know because I'm a master of comedy." Omegoo didn't really want to have to tell the Three Lords of Humor story again to prove that point. That story made his throat real dry.

"But if-- if it bothers you then I guess I can try to not laugh. But that might make it worse! Just warning you!!" And off they went. Catafay had no idea where. The destination was friendship, so they could be going... anywhere!!

- exit w/ Bowie?? -

@Bowie

Bowie huffed, "I mean laughing at, not with. Laughing at is when you're doing it because they did something that embarrassed them. Laughing with is when someone made a joke or did something on purpose to be funny. Or a nice prank."

They shrugged at the name, not believing it at all, "Alright. I'll learn your name eventually."

Bowie trotted off, content with how the conversation ended. Catafay promising to be nice. That was really all they could ask for.

Exit Bowie.

@Catafay (for visibility)