Give me one and give me two, cover me with muck and goo.

[talkyourwayout]

The birthday campout hadn't quite gone as planned, but it had fueled Lexi and Gobo's friendship enough that, when the idea of a do-over came up, Lexi ultimately agreed to it. After all, she'd only spent a few hours outside on Gobo's birthday. That had been over a week ago, too.

And the first day of the trip hadn't been too bad, she had to admit. They'd picked a different place this time, a spot outside the Other Duckburg where Louie had suggested there might be arrowheads to be found that she could sell for a pretty good price. Sure, the craggy landscape had left Lexi a little concerned about sleeping comfortable, but once she was in her sleeping bag that night, she'd actually been out like a light.

She slept in late the next morning, too, even through several minutes of someone calling her for help... But when the cries did get through to her mind, she awoke with a jolt.

"Gobo? Oh man!" She scrambled out of the sleeping bag and made her way toward the source. It couldn't have just been a relaxed, lucrative little trip, now could it? Great.

Comments

[gobetween]

That sound that comes from him is one usually equivocated with angry cats, and if he wasn't so covered in slime and slate his fur would likely be bristling as well.

[talkyourwayout]

She couldn't help a snort of unruly laughter at that, as she took a couple of steps away from Gobo. Just in case.

"Well, you shouldn't have taught me the song, then!"

[gobetween]

With a sharp glare he makes a lunge for her, which only unbalances him and sends him right back to the dirt. There he lay for a couple seconds, stunned, then snarled and beat his fists on the ground a few times.

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi watched him for a moment, then once he'd calmed down, dashed over and tauntingly kissed the tip of his snout before positively zooming back to where she'd been.

[gobetween]

That is a look from him that, if it could kill, would've roasted Lexi in an instant and reduced her to duck dust. Thankfully any further efforts from either of them are halted when Scrooge arrives who, on noting the scene of an angry enough Gobo to practically reboil the tar schlopped all over him and Lexi with a Knowing Smirk he knew ALL too well, wisely decided to stay out of it and get Gobo up instead. Rubber gloves and a waiting protected seat in the car were the answer, and it was a short trip back to the Manor and what came next.

Which at the moment, consisted of being in a small metal washtub filled with a baby oil mixture. Beforehand had been cutting out and combing out the worst clumps, and trying to find a way to rescue his clothing. Now he was in one of the larger bathrooms, sulking in the bath like a small, naked, spottily-furred alligator.

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi peeked into the bathroom after a few moments - she'd gone out to check on the state of Gobo's clothes for him.

Maybe she felt a little bad about being awful, but just a little bad!

"Is it coming out at all?"

[gobetween]

"Yes." He lifted his head just enough to talk, looking over the rim of the tub. "It'll come out more after a long... long soak."

At least his remaining fur will be soft. The others will LOVE that...

[talkyourwayout]

"Oh, now we just chill while we wait?" she asked, walking into the room and taking a seat against one wall. "So, my kind of thing, now."

[gobetween]

"Yes, your kind of thing." Doesn't he sound just so enthused about that? He took in a breath and disappeared under the level of the bath.

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi drummed her fingers against her legs, which were crossed, and sighed.

"Listen, Gobo... I didn't mean to tick you off. I mean, I did, but just in the usual way."

[gobetween]

He doesn't respond immediately, but only because he was getting in a good soak, scrubbing at his hair for a few moments. Soon enough he came up and leaned over the side a moment, blindly reaching for a washcloth that'd been left there. This he used to wipe away around his eyes before he could open them to look over.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Lex." He dropped the cloth, within reach but outside of "splash zone," and rested with his arms folded braced on the rim of the tub. Sighing some, he left his chin at the point they met. "I wasn't angry at you, I was angry at myself."

[talkyourwayout]

She smiled a bit, nodding. "It could've happened to anyone, you kno- Woah."

Lexi blinked a few times as she looked over the splotchy pattern of orange and pink on his arm. She'd never actually seen Gobo's skin before - well, of course not. He had fur.

"That's kinda cool-looking," she admitted, pointing to his heavily-shaved arm.

[gobetween]

He glanced down with a questioning noise, then lifted his head some and held his arm out. His skin was a pale, creamy sort of orange, interrupted by irregular splotches of pink. Nodding after a moment, he resumed his earlier position.

"Most Fraggles have skin like that, in different patterns. Not that you usually see it, though when the light hits a light-furred, dark-patterned Fraggle just right, you can kinda make it out."

[talkyourwayout]

Staying seated, she scooted closer - though she, like the cloth, stayed just outside the splash zone.

"Different patterns? That's- Man, that's actually fitting, with how you guys are so individualistic."

[gobetween]

He watched her, then reached for the cloth again- now that she was paying attention, she may notice another spray of pink spots peeking through a patch missing on his lower back -and wiped his arm off best he could, before holding it out for her to look at closer.

"Yeah, just one more thing that makes each and every Fraggle unique."

[talkyourwayout]

She leaned in closer, smiling a little at his comment. Man, it was weird - oh, sure, skin wasn't a new concept to her, but this was very unique-looking. And most people she knew, well, their skin was generally covered with fur or feather, anyway.

Of course, she didn't actually explain any of that reasoning before prodding Gobo's arm with her index and middle finger.

[gobetween]

Gobo watched her, then snickered a little at the poke. He got it, at least part of it; there really hadn't been any point where she'd ever seen his skin before, not in all the time they'd known each other. So he flipped his arm over and spread his fingers some.

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi hesitated just a moment, then - rolling her eyes - she traced up his arm, starting at the tip of his index finger, with her pinky.

"Very weird. And there are some people who are always like that! Just, all the time!"

[gobetween]

"What, you mean like without feathers or fur?" He giggled a bit; her finger tickled.

"Yeah, people like Bridge and Daniel definitely improved when they got their forms like us."

[talkyourwayout]

"Yeah, I'd say so," Lexi agreed, pulling her hand away. "Hey, I gotta ask - how'd you even end up in that tar pit?"

[gobetween]

Once she was done investigating, he folded his arm with the other underneath his chin again.

"I wasn't looking where I was going. I couldn't tell that was a ridge with a drop so early in the morning; the sun hadn't even come all the way up yet. So, over and down I went."

[talkyourwayout]

She nodded at that explanation.

"Flashlights. I know they're not very Fraggleish, I guess, but you should have flashlights."

[gobetween]

"We have flashlights. And I own one, too. I just didn't use it."

[talkyourwayout]

"Oh." Yeah, that was right, huh? She frowned a bit, though it shifted to a smirk quickly. "Well, then you were just being dumb."

[gobetween]

"Which is why I was upset at myself and not at you."