The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, early Saturday morning

[betterthanaplan]

Fandom made for an excellent home base when it came to hiding out from the authorities, and had proven to be -- educational, if nothing else. But Duke had job offers piling up and a reputation to maintain, so with the school closed down for a week, it was time to head out and do his actual work for awhile. And if one of those jobs happened to involve a delivery up near Halifax, with Haven on the way. . . .

It took him a bit longer than usual to get the Cape Rouge in shape for more than a day trip. He'd been busy on the island the last couple weeks and hadn't taken her out for more than a few hours at a time. And what with the chaos of last week and the whole new wardrobe he'd started building for his femme-shaped body, he had a bit of packing to do. And of course there were porgs to evict.

So many damn porgs to evict.

"Okay, seriously, I'm not letting you immigrate to 2008," he said, shooing a little family of four down his gangplank. "Fish and Wildlife would lose their shit. And those guys already have enough issues. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Shoo!"

This was making it much harder to pull his usual disappearing act. For better or for worse.

[open, if anyone's heading by at, like, dawn. Duke's going off island for the break week, like the little wanderlust-filled kitten he is]

Comments

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack had gone for the daily 'it's not even dawn yet' run with Kaidan and then, damnit, he was going to Mooby's for all the grease and carbs and salt he could fit in this body. He picked up a couple extra sandwiches to feed to the porgs and headed toward the docks.

In time to see Duke up at this stupidly early hour packing up his boat. Which.. bothered him but there was no way that was getting expressed. Jack watched the porgs being herded down the gangplank and gave the biggest shit-eating grin he could manage.

Held up the bag with its very obvious 'Moobys' branding and said cheerfully, "Hey! You're up! I come bearing breakfast!"

..For the porgs.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke straightened from his shooing and raised an eyebrow at the bag. He pressed a hand to his chest.

"That hurts me, Jack. Deep inside. When I've tried so hard to teach you about flavor."

[biotic_psychotic]

"It has flavor," Jack protested, "Processed cheese, salt, and pickles are a flavor. They're even identifiable flavors."

Just not good ones.

[betterthanaplan]

"They do," Duke acknowledged. "Plenty of terrible things have identifiable flavors. That doesn't mean you have to eat them."

[biotic_psychotic]

"Good thing I didn't plan to eat these, then," Jack said, laughing, "They're for the little bird buddies. I was just gonna feed 'em but it looks like you could maybe use some help gettin' 'em off the boat."

A chin nod up toward the deck, "You headin' out?" Casually. As if he didn't care what the answer might be.

As if he wasn't worried that the junk swap had done some real trauma inside Duke's head.

[betterthanaplan]

"They've been nesting," Duke grumbled. It was adorable. They were raising entire families. He felt really bad about kicking them out.

"Yeah. Got jobs backing up, shit to take care of." He looked out towards the water, already itching to get going. "Figured this is as good a time as any, what with the school on vacation and all."

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack made a noise that, in his other body would probably have been a burbling little coo but in this one came out as more a rumbling.. purr.. thing.

Jack made a face, okay that was weird. Easier to think about that than the kind of worry actually going on.

He shrugged and opened the bag, taking out one of the sandwiches and tearing it into bits. The porgs, smelling food, began waddling and burbling his way. Jack tossed the bits of bread farther down the beach, away from the Rouge.

"Didn't know the fall trip was so soon. Where'd they send the brats off to this time?" he asked, because that was easier than asking Duke where he was going.

Or whether he was coming back.

[betterthanaplan]

"Galapagos," Duke said and shrugged. "And you know, been there, done that. Guess it'll be real quiet around her with them running around."

[biotic_psychotic]

"That's the island with the turtles and shit?" Jack asked and shrugged, "Saw a thing about it on Nature. Thought they didn't let people go there, seems kinda weird they'd let a whole school group run around on the islands."

Tossed another piece of bread. "Sounds like it's going to be a real quiet week, yeah."

Not asking. Not. Asking.

[betterthanaplan]

"The island with the turtles," Duke said. "Most of the archipelago is closed to visitors without special permission. But there are a couple parks you can still tourist through."

He watched Jack feed the porgs for a moment.

"You and your boys should plan something fun. Keep the island on its toes."

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack raised his eyebrows, "My boys?"

He was amused. Tossed another piece of burger for the porgs to chase off down the beach. "Kaidan mentioned maybe going to visit his mom. Might could do that. I hear Vancouver's nice."

[betterthanaplan]

"Your assholes? Whatever you want to call 'em." He nodded. "Vancouver's nice. We'll basically be on opposite coasts. And a couple hundred years apart. . . ."

[biotic_psychotic]

"I have several, wasn't sure which ones you meant," Jack shrugged, "You're staying on this coast? Not heading somewhere warm and tropical?"

As if Baltimore hadn't been warm and tropical to the point of inspiring crankiness in people who wanted some actual autumn weather, damnit.

"Need anything from the other coast, a couple hundred years in the future, since I might be there?"

[betterthanaplan]

"I think I'm good," Duke said. "Though if you see something that makes you think of me, by all means." He looked out to sea again. "Headed north, yeah. Got a delivery up in Nova Scotia." A slight twist of his lips. "Actually kinda thinking of stopping in Haven."

Which was so. Very. Weird.

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack cracked his neck from side to side. "Visit with your cop?"

Oddly enough, that was.. somewhat reassuring. Not running away to another country, or somewhere so far away that it'd take more than a week to get back.

If he were coming back.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke shrugged. "Assuming he wants to see me."

It was kind of sad that he really wasn't sure.

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack glanced over his shoulder, throwing another tidbit to the porgs. "There's this thing. It's called a telephone? I'm pretty sure they had them even back in your antique year. You don't have to assume shit, Duke. You could just fuckin' ask the cupcake cop if he wants to see you."

[betterthanaplan]

"What, and ruin chance to just walk up behind him like he did with me?"

[biotic_psychotic]

Jack thought about it and made a so-so gesture with his hand. "His ass isn't really worth the view."

That man. Had no ass. It was a little sad.

"And? He don't seem much to me like the type of person who likes change or surprise. You might do better with the phonecall." Than risk Nathan being a dick.

[betterthanaplan]

Duke tilted his head and gave a little ironic smile at that description of Nathan's ass. It had its moments!

"So you're saying he can dish it out but can't take it?" He flicked his eyebrows up. "Yeah, actually that's probably true."

But calling required pre-planning on Duke's part, and he was more than half expecting to chicken out at the last minute and just head straight for Halifax.

[biotic_psychotic]

"Kinda seemed like he might be that type, yeah," Jack agreed, "but I only met him for like five seconds, what do I know."

Threw another bite to the porgs. "I think it's required for cops to have no sense of humor. Part of their training or some shit."

[betterthanaplan]

"They probably screen for it," Duke agreed. "Nathan's always needed help in that department." He criticized because he loved. "What brings you by this early? Getting in a last run before all those muscles go away again?"

[biotic_psychotic]

"Nah, I run every day," Jack answered, "Though running with this much more mass is one hell of a workout. Stopped at Mooby's for breakfast, thought the little purring shitheads might like some actual food instead of trying to eat, like, rocks and sticks and shit."

For a certain value of 'actual food'.

"Glad I did. Had no idea you were planning to head out. Would've sucked seeing an empty dock tomorrow."

[betterthanaplan]

". . . Right." Duke ran his hand over his hair. "Didn't really think it warranted a general announcement. Most places, it doesn't."

Most places he didn't manage to make anything more than surface level friends.

[biotic_psychotic]

"It don't," Jack shrugged easily, voice casual, "Squirrels would've told whoever does radio tomorrow that you'd left." Not whether he was coming back. "I mean, you know how they are. You'd probably be catching shit for cruelty to porgs or something."