The Park on Sunday afternoon.

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando went for a walk after work and his feet took him back to the park. This time, he brought a bottle of water and a small hip pouch full of snacks. For both himself and his companion, when one of the quokka decided to follow him. The walk took a long time, the quokka needed to rest several times. Hernando didn't mind. He spoke to his small furry companion as though it could understand him, calling out parts of the architecture or the view that he admired and why. The quokka didn't answer, of course, but it did look in whatever direction Hernando gestured.

In deference to the weather, Hernando was wearing a light linen button shirt and a color-coordinated pair of linen shorts. His feet were clad in brown Prada sandals.

Comments

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan left the store in Nate's capable hands and went for an afternoon run. In the heat and humidity. It was either building stamina or some form of self-punishment, and he wasn't spending too much time deciding which.

Spotting a familiar face, he stopped and greeted him. "Hey, Hernando. How's the day treating you?" The quokka ..smiled at him. That was adorable but also a little creepy, "And your little..pet? Friend?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"Kaidan," Hernando greeted warmly handwave since they had agreed not to be formal, "The day is beautiful, if a little humid. The furry one is a quokka, did you know? They are from Australia. I am not sure how they wound up here. They are not pets, though they seem friendly enough. This little one decided to have an adventure today and followed me to the park."

He smiled at the little thing, which smiled back before it scavenged a leaf to nibble on.

[spectre_alenko]

"Australia, eh?" Kaidan asked, then nodded. It was adorable and a little creepy, possibly venomous, so of course it had come from Australia. "Are they friendly enough to pet?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"Oh yes," Hernando encouraged with a small wave toward the quokka, "Just don't startle them. The only one who discourages attention is Dave. Dave is challenging."

Dave was a destructive force of nature and Hernando wasn't quite sure what to do about it.

[spectre_alenko]

"Do they all have names?" Kaidan asked, crouching down near the quokka and holding a hand out tentatively.

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando shook his head, then brushed curls off his forehead, "No. 'Dave' is only because I had to call him something. 'Hey you' sounded rude, and anyway, it didn't work. I kept trying names until he answered to one, so: Dave."

Kaidan's hand caught his attention as he reached toward the quokka. "You paint your nails?" he asked with mild curiosity.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan's glance traveled from his own nails to Hernando's face. One hand gently stroking the quokka's head when it came close enough to reach, he replied, "Not myself, no. A friend of mine does 'em. Seems to be a hobby of his."

There was an undercurrent of challenge to the words.

[hernando_fuentes]

Picking up on the undercurrent, Hernando offered an immediate apologetic smile, "I am new and wondered if you knew of a good salon here." He held up a hand to display nails that had been professionally kept. His cuticles were in terrific shape and the nails themselves buffed and shiny, if not painted.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan relaxed a little, "I don't, no, but my friend said there was a spa in town that did nails. I don't have the name, but it's probably in the business directory."

The quokka nuzzled his fingers, surprising a small laugh out of him.

[hernando_fuentes]

"Thank you," Hernando said quietly. He watched a moment while Kaidan befriended the quokka, smiling at the picture: a man built for battle, if the marks on his hands were anything to go by, and the gentle compassion with which he treated a small animal. "I do have a business directory. It had not occurred to me to look there, though until I saw your nails, it also had not occurred to me that I would soon need to, if I wanted to keep mine in any sort of order."

[spectre_alenko]

"I don't usually pay much attention to mine," Kaidan said, a form of apology for the earlier challenge, "Clip 'em short so they don't catch on things, is all." He scritched the quokka gently between her ears. "My friend likes the nail paint, and it's pretty and harmless. Today, he had a purpose for it. He was doing a photoshoot with hands in. I suggested that if he got prints made, he should maybe talk to you about getting them on the walls of your shop."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Oh?" Hernando perked up, always interested in art, "Yes, please, he should. I have not met any of the local artists. The pictures were there when I opened the store, but it would be very nice to do my own curation, I think."

The quokka took a gentle nibble at the side of Kaidan's hand.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan poked the quokka gently on the nose and said quietly but firmly, "No bites." The quokka pulled back and nuzzled his hand in apology.

"Did the last owner leave them for you? That would be a nice gesture," he asked.

[hernando_fuentes]

"No," Hernando answered, puzzled how to make the answer sound less insane, "It was a hobby store, abandoned, when I found it. I cleaned it out and asked at the bank. I bought it, and the next day.." He held both hands out, a helpless gesture, "It had changed to the store you saw." A smile graced his face, "It was like magic. I have never witnessed such a thing before."

[spectre_alenko]

"Oh," Kaidan answered, focusing on petting the quokka for a moment, "One of those. Yeah, that kind of thing just sort of happens here. You get used to it eventually."

He still wasn't really used to it.

[hernando_fuentes]

"I don't think I would ever want to get used to it," Hernando said quietly, "Every new thing is surprising, and delightful in its own way, even if only for being a new experience."

[spectre_alenko]

Oh, you adorable, precious marshmallow.

Kaidan didn't want to ask about negative experiences. He didn't want to damage Hernando's obvious joy in the place. The island would probably do that for him soon enough. Instead, he offered a warning, "Has anyone told you to avoid the gremlins yet?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"No bright light, don't get them wet, never feed them after midnight?" Hernando joked. He had seen that movie.

[spectre_alenko]

Kaidan frowned. He hadn't heard those rules, and said as much, "I hadn't heard those, but around here the big rule is 'don't let them bite you'. They're venomous. It's not fatal, but it's a hallucinogenic."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Wait, you are saying there are real gremlins here? Not just a movie?" Hernando beamed enthusiastically, "I would very much like to see one!"

[spectre_alenko]

"There are real gremlins here," Kaidan answered, grimacing a little at the man's enthusiasm, "Though you probably won't see them until they're about to bite you. I haven't experienced it myself, but I'm told it's quite common."

[hernando_fuentes]

"As long as it is not harmful, I am not sure I would mind all that much," Hernando speculated, "It would definitely be a new experience."

[what_the_shock]

Miguel was happy to lounge in the park and play around on the tablet he'd gotten, checking science sites for anything new and weird pop culture sites for fun. He had a big iced coffee from the Perk, with sweetener in it he'd never cop to.

He watched the guy he didn't recognize - new? - wander by, followed by a small fuzzy thing, and nodded at them.

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando smiled pleasantly at the man in sunglasses. He wished he'd thought to bring a pair.

The quokka bounced over to Miguel, putting tiny paws on his shin and peering up at him with a happy face.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel looked down at the thing. "Hi." After that, he wasn't sure. Did it want petting? Coffee? Philosophical conversation?

[hernando_fuentes]

"I think perhaps she is interested what you hold in your hand," Hernando offered quietly, "but please don't give her any of the beverage. It would probably not be so good for her. She and her colony live in the tea shop, and are forever curious."

[what_the_shock]

"Okay," Miguel said. "So, friendly but not sentient?" He held out his hand for her to explore instead. "No coffee for you. They drink tea instead?" he asked. "Or they just like to poke around?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"Sentient?" Hernando was surprised, "No, I don't think so. Friendly, certainly." He gave a tiny sigh, "Except Dave, who is not so friendly as the others. They do not drink tea, only water, but they enjoy peering into cups to see what's inside."

A hand rose to run idly through his hair, "They are curious about everything. This is the first time one has followed me this far. I had to walk slowly so she could keep up."

The quokka captured his fingers in her tiny forepaws, sniffing them thoroughly before rubbing the top of her face against Miguel's palm.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel very carefully kept his talons folded in invisibly and rubbed behind her ears. "What are they?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"Quokka, I have learned," Hernando answered Miguel, "A small marsupial from Australia. Similar to a wallaby, I read. What they are doing here in North America?" He held his palms out, "I do not know. They are mostly calm and curious. Except Dave."

[what_the_shock]

"Who's Dave?" Miguel asked.

[hernando_fuentes]

"One of the quokka," Hernando explained with a face full of regret, "He seems less pleasant than the others, and is far more prone to mischief. He is part of their clan, and the others treat him the same as any other. He is the only one so far that has needed a name, though."

[what_the_shock]

"Black sheep of the family," Miguel guessed. Hey, he had some experience there. "Speaking of names," he paused in petting the quokka to hold out his hand. "Miguel."

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando shook the hand with a warm, unchallenging grip. "Hernando Fuentes, professor and, now, tea shop proprietor. It is good to meet you, Miguel."

The quokka decided she'd had enough attention and hopped over to explore. The smell of mint perfumed the air when she stripped a leaf off to nibble.

[what_the_shock]

"Nice to meet you," Miguel answered nodding. "Chilango?"

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando was surprised into Spanish, !Yes. And you as well?!

[what_the_shock]

Miguel shook his head and responded in kind. "I'm from Nueva York. But you sound like my mother."

He realized belatedly how that sounded. "The same accent, I mean."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Nueva?" Hernando asked, since emphasis landed on the word, and in English, "New York? Your mother is from Mexico, though? Do you still have family there?"

[what_the_shock]

"New York," Miguel confirmed. "Ma's from Mexico City. No family left down there I know of, though." He had a few ancestors, but nobody living. Though heck, maybe his ancestors were living there now.

"What brings you to Fandom?"

[hernando_fuentes]

"A storm," Hernando smiled, "Too much to drive through, so I parked and sought shelter here at a hotel. The wet and damp brought about a cold so I stayed a few days to recover, fell in love, stayed. What brings you from such a big city to such a small one?"

[what_the_shock]

"Portals, bugs, and a need to relax," Miguel answered succinctly. "It's a little weird here, but I like it."

[hernando_fuentes]

"I love it here," Hernando confessed, "Everything I have encountered so far has filled me with joy."

[what_the_shock]

"It's...got its good and bad points," Miguel said. "You do have to keep an eye for some of the weird."