24th Invasion

[moemoetentacles]

[Action; in and around 452 Stone Street]

[For anyone living on, hanging out near, or walking down Stone Street today - there is something happening on at 452 Stone Street that you may wish to investigate.  The windows to the house are open, and the sound of a small explosion rings through the air, followed by the surprised and panicked scream of a certain little squid-child.  There is now black smoke billowing out of the living room window, and the sound of coughing.  After a few seconds, Squid Girl's head pops out of the window as she tries to get some fresh air into her lungs.]

Aaaaaahhhhh... what's wrong with that stupid thing!

Comments

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

I reckon there oughta be. There's a lotta folks who're concerned about th' environment where I'm from.

Heck, it's in my company's mission statement; protectin' th' people, planets, an' star systems where they make their home.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Huh. I never thought about that. Maybe I should try to find some human organizations like that and team up with them!

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat gives Squid Girl a thumbs up and a grin.]

There you go! That's how you oughta look at it.

[Does this count as successful tactical negotiation? Can Gat put this on his resume?]

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Oh! Okay! That sounds a lot easier!

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Nodding approvingly over here.]

By th' way, I don't think I've introduced myself. My name's Falk Gatt, though most folks jus' call me Gat. I'm a Ranger for th' GUARDIANS Security Corporation.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'll just call you Gat, then. I'm Squid Girl.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat blinks, then quirks an eyebrow.]

Your parents named ya after your species?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

What? No. I came up with that name myself.

Finally catching up on my tags pre-slowatus!

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[That eyebrow remains quirked.]

Y'mean to say your parents never bothered namin' ya?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

...Parents?

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat can't figure out if Squid Girl's being absentminded or not.]

You did have a father an' mother, right? Ya'll're like most organic folks in that way?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

I don't really remember anyone like that.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

... Were you an orphan, then?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

I guess so.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat rubs the back of his neck.]

Sorry t'hear that. I reckon it's gotta be hard growin' up without parents bein' there for ya.

[He sounds a little awkward saying that.]

Kinda hard for folks like me to relate to that, since we ain't born—we're built.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it's like that for all squids.

...Are you a robot or something?

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

That I am. Or at least, I was. Mayfield ain't turned me back to normal yet.

Where I'm from, my kind's called CASTs.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

How come they don't just call you robots?

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

Well, callin' an android a robot or machine's somethin' like callin' a human an animal; technically right, but in practice folks'll get offended by it.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

...Oh. Okay.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat gives a slight lopsided grin.]

I reckon that didn't make much sense to ya.

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Not really!

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Gat rubs his chin with a thumb and forefinger for a moment, trying to think of how to put this in a context that Squid Girl would understand.]

Let's put it this way; as one of them squid folk, do ya'll have a kind of creature ya'll prefer eatin'?

[moemoetentacles.livejournal.com]

Shrimp! Shrimp is the best.

Sorry about the delay! Thanksgiving was hectic.

[nanocerancowboy.livejournal.com]

[Another unfamiliar type of creature ... Ah well! Gat rolls with it.]

If someone compared ya to a shrimp, how would you feel about it?