'cause dirt on you is dirt on me, and we both know our hands ain't clean
The praise worked exactly as intended. Calan straightened up a little beneath it, chin lifting as though Fern had just pinned a medal to his shirt instead of watching him eat something that tasted like the ocean’s oldest sock. He accepted her solemn assessment with a small, dignified nod, because brave researchers did not make a fuss over minor things like nearly gagging in front of everyone.
"Really gross," he agreed once his mouth was empty, wrinkling his nose and scrunching his whole face at the memory of it. "But if it’s for bio-whatever purposes, what can you do?" The answer, plainly, was endure it with honour and then find a better branch of science before his tongue decided to quit on him.
Carlo ’s suggestion had Calan looking immediately past the waterline toward the food and drink stands, where bright cups moved between hands and blue liquid caught the firelight. His tastebuds, having suffered enough for one evening, perked up at the prospect. He spotted the drinks in question among the grown-ups nearby and nodded toward them with the confidence of someone who had just identified a much more promising research subject. "Sure looks like they’re popular," he said, already taking a step in that direction. Then he glanced back toward Carlo and Fern, lowering his voice just enough to make it feel like a proper expedition. "Shall we?"
"Really gross," he agreed once his mouth was empty, wrinkling his nose and scrunching his whole face at the memory of it. "But if it’s for bio-whatever purposes, what can you do?" The answer, plainly, was endure it with honour and then find a better branch of science before his tongue decided to quit on him.
Carlo ’s suggestion had Calan looking immediately past the waterline toward the food and drink stands, where bright cups moved between hands and blue liquid caught the firelight. His tastebuds, having suffered enough for one evening, perked up at the prospect. He spotted the drinks in question among the grown-ups nearby and nodded toward them with the confidence of someone who had just identified a much more promising research subject. "Sure looks like they’re popular," he said, already taking a step in that direction. Then he glanced back toward Carlo and Fern, lowering his voice just enough to make it feel like a proper expedition. "Shall we?"
if it all goes wrong and we end up on the news, if you go down I'm goin' down too
