Author's Note: It's been pointed out to me that this story has been rolling for nearly two years now. The good news is, this story should only go a few more chapters… I doubt you guys want a continuing soap-opera style series! I'll try to get the next update up a bit quicker.
Chapter Ten: Sharp Dressed Men
The return to the Great Fox went without incident, Fox holding his breath as the docking collars lined up and sealed until Peppy thumped him on the back and told him to breathe before he collapsed. General Pepper said they'd have money in the bank when the banks opened, as not even the government was quite that good at moving money, and was cheerfully relieved when the weary four didn't argue with him.
After hours of delays getting back down to Corneria City, Peppy found himself standing at the edge of the docking bay, looking at the next slip over with some amusement, which was where the cars had been left. "I think they did this on purpose."
"Probably half-assed revenge at us renting THIS slip for racing." Falco replied, looking at Peppy's contemplative look. "What's on your mind?"
"Breakfast."
"You're speaking my language so far, are you cooking?"
"No, I was thinking about finding a decent restaurant and buying. You guys want to come along? I'll pay."
"Free food? I'm there." Fox replied immediately. "But where to go? And don't suggest a waffle house, those places scare me a bit."
"Worried about health code violations?" Falco glanced at him.
"No, man, the waitresses with turquoise eyeshadow…"
I've got sunshiiiIIIIiiine…
Peppy snorted, fishing his cell phone out of one the uniform pockets and looking at the screen. "Huh. It's Erin."
"You are so whipped." Now it was Falco's turn to snort.
Peppy ignored that, answering the phone and cutting off the thready beepy notes of 'My Girl'. "Good morning."
"Oh hi. Sorry, I actually meant to leave you a voice mail asking you to drop me a line on how things went." Erin's voice was groggy but awake. "I still have your jacket."
"Don't worry about it. And things went fine, considering the circumstances. No injuries." He glanced at the boys. "The crew here and I were just discussing breakfast out… do you happen to know any good restaurants?"
"I do but I'll only own up if I can meet you there."
"Don't even ask, she's welcome to have breakfast with us." Fox said, watching Peppy's face. "But if she's coming, I'm calling and waking up Chelsea."
"I need a girlfriend." Slippy rubbed his face. Falco punched his shoulder.
Peppy rolled his eyes. "You're welcome to join us, Erin, just be aware we're all short on sleep and the adrenalin has worn off, so we may be a bit punchy. Now, what restaurants were you going to recommend?"
Fox sighed and leaned on the wall, rubbing his eyes. The hostess, between seating others, couldn't help but stare at the group of four, but he ignored it. "Think the banks are open?"
"Probably, besides, you know Pepper wouldn't stiff us." Peppy was also standing, but in a yoga tree stance. He had the morning paper open, reading through it. "Slip, if you don't calm down I'm going to pistol whip you."
"I, just, GAH! How do you guys keep so calm?" Slippy sniveled.
"They're just girls, man." Falco snorted.
"Yeah, but…"
"But?" Erin asked, coming into the restaurant and hugging Peppy from behind. To his credit, he managed not to fall out of the one-legged balance stance. "And thanks for letting me tag along. I figured you guys would be seated by now?"
"We're not that rude." Peppy folded the paper to be open to a page and passed it to Fox as he set his other foot down, lacing an arm over one of Erin's. "There's a car show in the city next month, looks like it's going to be huge too."
"Yeah, I read about it." Fox looked at the ad, nodding good-morning to Erin. "As far as I know, there's going to be thousands of cars there, mostly imports but also some hot rods, racing trucks, you name it. And there's still room, but when I called and asked, they said the proviso on getting cars entered is that sponsorship is needed."
"We sponsor ourselves, don't we?" Falco asked.
"I'm pretty sure that doesn't count." Fox chuckled, then looked at his cell phone when it buzzed. "Text message, Chelsea and Natasha are stuck in traffic, say go ahead and sit down."
A few minutes later they were at one of the larger tables, arranging themselves on where they figured the two on the way would sit. Coffee was immediately ordered, before menus even were passed out.
"So are you guys allowed to talk about what happened last night?" Erin asked, gratefully accepting her coffee and dumping a packet of sugar into it.
"You know, I have no idea." Peppy said thoughtfully. "I don't remember Pepper saying anything about not telling people."
"It didn't make the morning paper, probably make the afternoon edition though." Falco replied. "They could probably hush it up if they really tried, but I'm not sure there'd be a point."
"Besides the fact that we never figured out the real motivations of the assholes?" Fox asked.
"Touche. That's been bugging the hell out of me too."
"We'll probably hear more about it." Slippy replied, taking the paper from Fox and looking at the car show ad. "We need sponsorship for this?"
"Yeah, in some official capacity." Fox replied.
"Pep, didn't Panther offer up some sort of sponsorship?"
Falco nearly did a spit take. "Oh hell no."
Erin looked at Peppy, who was drinking his coffee black while he read a menu. "Panther? He's the guy with the ridiculous first name who you met with, right?"
"Yup, Alphonse. Nice guy, overall, I think Falco overreacts." Peppy dropped the menu onto the table. "Or maybe I'm just more used to him."
"The latter, the man is a letch and I don't like being hit on by dudes." Falco shook off, waving at a waitress. "I'm starving, I'm ordering."
"No arguments here, I guess we'll add on when the stray parties arrive. Do you want me to ask Panther about it, Fox?"
"It'd be an idea, I'm actually kind of curious what he's come up with."
Food was ordered, and conversation turned to more generic topics, politics eventually coming up, but seriousness being passed over for a discussion on whether politicians were sentient creatures. Falco figured they were all mollusks.
"FOXIE!"
Fox somehow turned and got up out of his chair at the same time, catching Chelsea when she tried to tackle him, and lifting her into a dance pose over his head easily. "Good morning to you too, had some caffeine did we?" When she laughed, he let her down in a twirl dismount, sliding around his body in a loop like a stripe on a candy cane. "I'm surprised you were awake when I called."
"We both have to work later today." Natasha explained, rearranging where everyone was sitting. No one argued, though Slippy looked ready to freak out when she took a chair between him and Falco. "And I understand you guys already worked."
"This is true." Fox replied. "Most of us haven't slept much, so forgive any lack of coherency."
"That's a better sentence then I can assemble after a night with no sleep so don't worry about it. Did you guys order?"
"Yeah."
"Guess we'll have to add on, then." Chelsea flagged down the waitress, who didn't seem to mind the order being added on to.
"I envy omnivores." Peppy remarked as plates started landing on the table, watching Fox attack his bacon with a vengeance.
"I feel your pain." Chelsea replied. "Same problems here. Oddly I do have one enzyme coded in, I can digest fish, but not any other meat."
"I don't know if that makes you better off, or worse off, then I." Peppy said thoughtfully, cutting apart a waffle.
"I'd personally say worse. Only able to digest fish?" Falco looked at Chelsea. "That's like partial circumcision, a very strange thing."
"It wasn't my choice in the matter." Chelsea stuck out her tongue at him.
"Partial circumcision? Is that even possible?" Natasha wanted to know, taking a drink of her orange juice.
"I have no idea, I wasn't born in a way where such an act would be possible, thank god." Peppy shook off. "I am not fully comfortable with the idea of blades that close to that part of my anatomy."
"Not a good subject for breakfast." Slippy protested. "No matter what race you are and how you are arranged." When everyone else conceded that, he continued. "Besides, there's weirder ideas out there. Partial WMD disarmament."
"How do you partially disarm a WMD? Cut the wires but leave the explosive bits?" Chelsea wanted to know. Fox put his head in his hands and shook it wearily, Falco guffawed.
"No, I think he means an armory of the things." Peppy replied gently.
"Oh, ok, now I think I get it. Oh that reminds me." She turned to look at Fox. "I need to borrow your handgun."
"Do you have a carry permit?" He replied.
"Uh, no?"
"Then no."
"It doesn't have to be loaded! I just need it for a photo shoot."
Fox blinked at her.
"I'll be mostly naked."
"And I fold, but you do realize that since all the guns I own are duty pieces I'll have to accompany them."
"Am I the only one at this table not whipped?" Falco wanted to know.
"The only reason you aren't is because the girl you broke up with was apparently too much woman for you." Fox replied with a snort.
Falco, who had been taking a drink, did a spit take, causing Peppy and Erin to briefly duck. "You better take that back, piercing boy…"
"Do they usually get along this well?" Natasha directed this at Peppy.
"No, sometimes they get mad at each other."
"At least they can spar if they're upset, they won't spar with me." Slippy shook his head, working his way through hash browns.
"Why not, they afraid of hurting you?" Natasha looked at him curiously.
"No, other way around. They're afraid I'll hurt them."
"Slippy was a midweight to heavyweight wrestler in high school and the Academy." Peppy explained in a droll voice. "Specifically, submission holds and throws."
"No kidding?"
"None. I was never an award winner, but I was decent." Slippy shrugged.
"That explains your musculature."
"Actually, heavy maintenance on ships and cars explains that."
"All this and he isn't blushing yet." Falco snorted, holding up a coffee mug in a begging gesture. The waitress snickered and refilled it.
"God damn it all, Falco!" Slippy sputtered.
Fox startled and reached into a pocket, flipping a cell phone open and putting it to his ear. "Good morning General."
The rest of the table fell silent curiously, looking at Fox, who had sat back in his chair, one hand holding the phone, the other holding a mug of coffee.
"We're having breakfast, why? Oh… wait what? Are you serious?" He listened for a while. "Oh god, do we have to? .. Oh come on that's just blackmail. Jerks. Wait, you too? That's mean. …well I guess bribery will work… Ok, fine, I'll ask them and get back to you after I've had some sleep. When is this trainwreck happening? Right." He hung up and looked at the rest of the table.
"No one else could look so casual about getting phone calls from a Commanding General." Erin said, amazed.
"So, what's going on?" Falco asked. "What are we being blackmailed into?"
"Well, it just so happens that the President… intelligent, wonderful man that he is… is so pleased to get his politicians back he's decided to throw some formal gala next freaking WEEK. And guess what, it is being "highly suggested" that we attend. That's right, not an invite, a borderline order." Fox made a disgusted noise. "Pepper will be there too, of course, and who knows what else. Oh, and we have money in the bank."
"Formal? As in black ties and tuxedoes?" Slippy asked.
"Screw that." Peppy shoved his plates back. "If we have to go, let's go in dress uniforms."
"I don't own a dress uniform." Fox shook his head. "Never got them fitted."
"Well I have to be refitted for them, so I guess we all get to go to the tailor."
"Is it just us invited, or can we bring dates, or what?" Falco wanted to know.
"Looks like we can each bring one person, if we can find someone who wants to dress formal and suffer for an evening in a room full of politicians." Fox replied.
"Sounds like fun, I'll go!" Chelsea practically bounced with glee at the idea.
Fox looked at her. "I reserve the right to preview any dress you want to wear so you don't scandalize the old cranky politicians!"
"Awww, but the old cranky politicians LIKE scandals!"
Peppy shook his head, finishing his coffee and looking at Erin. "Dare I even ask for you to accompany me to this event?"
"Silly question, of course I'll come."
"Thank you, your presence will probably make it easier for me not to yell at the politicians."
"And as always, I'm the only one dateless." Slippy sighed, setting his jaw on his hands and looking dejected.
Natasha looked down at him thoughtfully. "I'll go if you're comfortable going as friends."
He startled and looked at her. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
He slowly smiled. "… That'd be nice. Thank you Natasha."
Peppy glanced around. "Not to interrupt conversations but I think all of us here need to sleep soon or we'll be asleep at the wheel on the way back."
"Yeah, probably right." Falco yawned. "You're still paying."
"Yeah, I got it, but the rest of you get to figure out the tip."
"Fair enough."
"They actually agreed to it? I'm shocked." Panther sounded amused; Peppy could hear the click of a lighter and the sound of a cigarette catching. Panther nearly always smoked when on the phone.
Peppy shrugged, continuing to dry his scalp one-handed, the other hand propping his phone. "Falco still isn't pleased about it, but I imagine he'll live. It came back up because of that sportscar expo."
"Oh right, official sponsorship needed. I'll get my graphics guy on it and have something to show you guys in the next day or two, how's that?"
"Window decals?"
"That's the current plan, nothing too big or showy. Subtlety has its high points, especially in this industry." Panther paused. "Now do tell, how the hell did you guys land that luxo cruiser job?"
"We didn't, we got asked to do it. That we pulled it off as well as we did is a miracle, between you and me."
"Psh, that's why I asked. You guys aren't a ground crew, no offense."
"None taken. What's your interest in it?"
"Well, because of THAT shit going down, everyone's all worried that the normal security measures are compromised." Panther made a totally entertained noise. "So guess who's going to be guarding the fancy-ass politicians at the next to-do."
"We'll see your boys on the job then, because guess who gets to go to that to-do."
"You're kidding, right?"
Peppy sat down on the end of his bed, yawning. "God, I wish. Doesn't look like we have a way to get out of it either. This should be fun."
"Oh come on, don't slam it. Free booze!"
"Yeah, but it'll be champagne, wine, and the like. I'm a beer man."
"You are so low brow."
"And that was so gay to say."
"Shut up." Panther laughed. "I grew up with wine at dinner, alright? I know how to fit a wine to a meal."
"So do I, but that's beside the point. On a perhaps related note, do us all a favor and don't hit on Falco."
"It isn't my fault the man freaks out so easily." He snorted.
Peppy flopped back and stared at the ceiling. "Just because you're blessed with bisexuality doesn't give you the right to freak him out."
"Right, ok fine. Fox fair game still?"
"Don't push your luck."
Panther laughed again, sounding gleeful. "Right, right. I'll call you back when I have something for your boys to look at." That much said, he hung up.
Peppy sighed and ended the call, and managed not to throw the phone as he pulled himself fully onto the bed and sprawled on his stomach. Gods willing, he'd get some sleep before the next catastrophe happened.
"Remind me why we have to do this again?" Falco kvetched, reluctantly letting clothing measurements be taken.
"We don't have to, we just may catch hell if we don't." Fox replied, shooting his cuffs and looking at himself in a full length mirror. "Man. I'd forgotten that we even had a dress uniform design."
"It's not like we have much use for it." Peppy replied. "We wore normal uniforms to the Awards Ceremony, even."
"Now I feel bad about it. This is just posh."
"The earrings don't go with it." Slippy observed. He and Fox were already dressed, Falco was being fitted, Peppy was waiting patiently to be refitted.
"Oh they can deal with it. I'll find some small hoops or something."
Peppy rubbed his eyes. "Fox…"
"If they're going to basically drag me to a formal get together, they can't complain too much if I wear my earrings."
"Well they CAN, actually. I mean, fruit salad is one thing, piercings quite another."
"You're probably the only one of us that really has any fruit salad." Falco reminded him, shrugging into the jacket and looking at himself in one of the mirrors. "Kind of like an Air Force dress uniform, but black. I hate suits but this is pretty sharp."
"James was fond of black." Peppy smiled a bit.
"Matches everything and doesn't readily show blood." Fox snorted. "Honestly I'm surprised you have all of this made." This he said to the tailor.
The tailor, a slender ferret with a cloth tape measure draped around the back of his neck, shrugged. "When you guys initially gave me uniform measurements, I made these up as well, though not exactly fitted. So three of you are rather well off, it's you I'll have to completely restart on." He directed the last bit toward Peppy, who shrugged and sighed. "Though at least it's for a good reason! It's never a bad thing to see someone get back in shape."
"I agree, and so do all the clothing stores I've gone to replacing my wardrobe."
The ferret chuckled and turned back to Falco, who had buttoned up the jacket and fixed his cuffs, spinning on heels in front of the mirrors. "I'll take that to mean you're pleased with the fit."
"Yes, actually."
"What's the reason for all the pomp and to do, dare I ask?" The ferret wove Peppy forward, who stepped up and automatically arranged himself, used to it.
"Nothing that exciting, unfortunately." Fox replied. "If anything interesting happens, I imagine it'll be on the news. It probably will be anyway."
An hour later saw the three younger boys in purchased dress uniforms, and Peppy informed he could pick up his finished uniform in two days. Fox leaned on the hood of his car, peering up at the sky. "Good weather this week at least, not so hot these outfits are insufferable."
"Are you actually bringing a date Falco?" Slippy asked, glancing at him.
"I asked Katt, actually, and she agreed. On a just-friends basis." He hastily added the second part when Fox lifted an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah right. Anyone want to bet me twenty bucks Falco has a shredded back the morning after this shindig?" Fox dug into his wallet and held up the twenty credit note.
"Hey, if I do I'm better off then you, Mr. Teased Into Oblivion. For all the lipstick left on you, I don't think you've gotten any at all."
"Hey, hey, that's enough." Peppy held up his hands. "Let's just resolve this argument with the fact that I'm worse off then either of you, and move along."
"No argument. See you guys later."
"You called him over to see your dress?" Natasha put up her eyebrows. "Where's the fun in that?"
"Not so much for mine, for Chelsea's." Erin sighed, looking in the mirror and smoothing the dress. "You know, one thing is nice about this industry. I had a score of clothing designers a phonecall away, all eager to put me in formal attire."
"And everything else, are you demoing some kind of wonder bra?"
Erin stared at her. "A wonder bra in a strapless dress?"
Natasha laughed. "Ok, you've got me there. He was fine with you calling him again?"
"As near as I can tell, his ex-wife henpecked him, among other things. Between that, and being single so long, me calling him for trivial things doesn't seem to bother him." Erin smiled at her cheerfully.
Nat shook her head. "That strategy won't work forever, babe."
"Yeah, I know, but by then we're either be comfortable with each other or decide we're better off friends."
"I can't see you playing the 'just friends' card on him, sorry."
The door opened and Drax leaned in, a slightly stunned look on his face. "Uh, Erin?"
"Yes?"
"Peppy's here."
"Thank you. Are you alright?"
"Er well that is, um. Sure?"
Natasha looked at Drax, then at Erin. "We've missed something here. I can tell."
"Let's go find out what it is then."
They followed Drax out of the room, Erin walking barefoot in the strapless gown, Natasha in jeans and a tank top. It wasn't hard to see something was going on, a massive amount of female squealing was coming from one of the more common areas, and as they got closer they could hear Peppy laughing.
"Erin! I figured you'd show up sooner or later, if for no other reason to find out what this din is." Peppy made his way through the gathering, looking totally amused. "I guess all this means I've officially gotten to the point where I look good in a uniform again, eh?"
Erin, meanwhile, had stopped in her tracks and was staring wide-eyed. She'd already made the connection that he was in some kind of uniform, but it was nothing like what she'd seen him in at breakfast a few days before. This one was ebony black, somehow without looking funeral ready, accented with rank markings and braids. "Holy mother of god."
"I do hope that's approval."
"Yes, yes it is. Is that new?"
"You called me just as I was getting the final fitting done on this. I decided to wear it over. Lovely gown, by the way." Peppy reached out and caught her hand, twirling her into his arms in an approximation of a dance pose. "'Tish, when was the last time we waltzed?"
Erin looked at him curiously, then made the connection and smiled slowly. "Oh, Gomez…. Hours."
"I'm glad you two knuckleheads found each other, or we'd be dealing with half-finished movie quotes." Natasha observed.
"Buzzkiller." Peppy snickered. "I figured you'd surprise me with what you were planning on wearing, but I do like it. Now, what's the reason you called?"
"Chelsea also is trying on a gown, and while I know Fox said he'd check what she was wearing, she can make him pretty useless. So I wanted you to play dad and make sure her dress is acceptable by high society standards."
"Yes, because I'm so much more used to high society standards. I'm a beer-drinking bachelor living in an apartment alone, remember?" He snickered again, releasing her from the dance pose. "But if you think I'm qualified, sure, as long as she's ok with it."
Erin snorted. "You're male, you're infinitely more qualified then we are."
"Since when?" Natasha wanted to know, following behind them as they walked and entertained when she noticed that Peppy was nearly marching.
"I'm actually inclined to agree with you, Nat. In my opinion, the female of the species is more agile, graceful, deadly, and cruel then the male." Peppy replied, and had to sidestep swats from both of them. "Like either of you can deny that! I'm not going to get into the intelligence debate… I think that the genders have differing intelligence. Both bright but in different ways."
"Well, in theory anyways. The void between Chelsea's ears should have collapsed into a black hole by now." Erin replied.
"I'm not sure that's QUITE how it works, and you've said she wants to be a doctor, how is she going to pull it off if she isn't bright?"
"You can be bright and still be completely clueless."
"Now that I can't argue, in fact, amen to it."
They turned a corner, and Erin pounded a door once with a fist. "Chelsea, we're coming in."
"Sure! It's open."
"You know, part of me is both fascinated and amused by the fact that I'm so welcome here." Peppy said thoughtfully as they entered the room, then stopped, tilting his head at Chelsea.
Chelsea, who had been looking out the window, squealed when she heard his voice and turned on toe, bouncing over happily. "Hi, Peppy! I didn't know you were here!"
"I haven't been here very long." He replied, rubbing his chin with one hand and appraising Chelsea's dress. She was wearing a black halter dress made of velvet and taffeta, the fitted top flowing into a full layered skirt. The dress was decorated with pearls, and from what he could tell it had been professionally altered. A once conservative neckline had been demolished, the halter v now dipped down to her navel, he could in fact see she was wearing a pearl belly button piercing. She also wore matching two-inch pumps and a pearl choker, the beads holding her plaits in black to blend in with her hair. "Interesting dress. Is that a Tulle?"
Chelsea beamed. "Wow! You recognize clothing designers?!"
"A few, thanks to my ex-wife. Besides, Tulle is the sort of thing my mother wore to parties years ago. That's clearly not the original cut, though, even if it's a good job of it."
"Yeah, I know this great tailor and just couldn't stand the original neckline. The original neckline may as well have been an average t-shirt!"
"Times were different then." He conceded, glancing back at the other two women. Natasha was trying to smother laughter, Erin was just smiling and shaking her head. "I think you may have gone a bit far with it though."
"Aw! Why do you say that? I think it looks good, almost like I'm wearing a vest and a skirt!"
"Chelsea, I think you've greatly mistaken what company you will be keeping at this affair."
"… I'm not currently having any affairs." Now she was puzzled.
He nearly slapped his forehead. "I mean, the party we'll be going to. Just hear me out on this, alright?"
"Ok, ok…"
"It's a lovely dress and would work great on a high-dollar night on the town, however, I'm not sure it's totally appropriate for this soirée."
"Lay off the complicated words, you're confusing her." Natasha advised, ignoring Chelsea's withering glare.
"How isn't it? Movie stars have worn a lot less then this on the red carpets!"
"Chelsie, sweetie, some movie stars have gone nearly naked to such things."
"That's my point exactly!" She shook a finger under his nose. He made a massive movement of will and managed not to look at it and therefore down her dress. "I think you're being too conservative, and that the old fogeys at this political black tie thing will maybe get a thrill out of it, but that's it!" She put her hands on her hips. "And I'm sure we all know they can afford expensive tail, so why would they be interested in me?"
"Most of them are married."
"As if that stops them from affording expensive tail!"
"Ei yi yi…"
"So that makes you what, midpriced tail?" Natasha asked Chelsea.
"Not for sale." Chelsea sniffed. "I was a stripper but I wasn't a callgirl, you wicked witch of a feline."
"Ladies? Ahem?" Peppy cleared his throat noisily and eventually got attention. "Bluntly, Chelsea, I find the neck line distracting at best and the piercings to be inappropriate."
"Fox told me he was going to wear his."
"He'll be getting a dress down from me about it. We may be going against our will but we can still follow some general ground rules."
"But why?"
That brought him up short. "Why what?"
"Give me one good reason to follow any rules here, general or any other sort." Chelsea stuck out her tongue. The stud currently through it was neon green and seemed to have spikes on it of some kind, and did nothing to keep Peppy's thoughts on the subject at hand. "I mean you guys don't actually want to go to this thing, right?"
"True. If we had been invited it would have been a totally different situation, this was more or less an order." Peppy rubbed the back of his neck. "None of us are very pleased about it. We aren't money grubbing whores who come at the beck and call of a conceited little government leader."
"Holy crap, that was blunt." Erin looked at him.
"Yeah, but that's how I feel about it. Maybe it's because I'm the only standing member of the original team. James didn't have a Lylatian military background when I met him, he only took some Academy classes because they paid him to." He shrugged. "We're mercenaries, and they are NOT paying us enough to get into monkey suits and play nice with a bunch of politicians we don't like."
"Then why are you?" Chelsea wanted to know.
"Because whether we like it or not, the Cornerian government is our most consistent and highest paying employer. If we don't show up, they'll take it as us thumbing our noses at them and the team reputation will go down in their eyes. Trust me; I've played this game before. It isn't fun."
The three girls stared at him, more then a bit surprised at the tone of his voice.
"So, what, you just submit and toe the line?" Natasha finally asked.
Peppy growled. "Does it sound like I like doing so?"
"How the hell did you just pull that sound off? You're a bunny." They all looked at Chelsea, who was now chewing gum and blew a bubble at them. "And we seem to have strayed from the issue; you went from complaining about my choice in piercings to having a funny rant about the government."
"Ugh, yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, ladies. I'm out of line." Peppy sighed.
"No, you're ok." Erin replied. "You're frustrated, obviously. You're allowed to blow some steam sometimes."
"I suspect his issue is that he hasn't, actually." Nat replied.
Peppy gave Nat a look. "Please don't, I'm struggling to keep my mind out of the gutter as it is. And you aren't helping!" He directed the last bit at Chelsea and again nearly slapped his forehead when she giggled and bounced easily on the high heels. "Ok, I guess I have to concede, Chelsea. I can't think of a good reason for you to go to this in a conservative manner. Knock them dead."
Chelsea grinned wickedly. "That I can do. Oh yes."
"You have just opened a massive can of worms." Erin lifted an eyebrow at Peppy.
"Yes, and I fully intend to dump them down Mr. President's shirt." He replied gaily. "That said, I believe I shall leave Chelsea to her scheming." That said, he turned on heel and strolled back out the door, Erin hurrying to walk with him. "I do hope that wasn't upsetting in any way?" He lifted an eyebrow at her.
"You apologize for yourself too much." She replied. "Though the growl caught me off guard."
"Ah, I should have commented on that long ago."
"The one-quarter lion in you, right?"
"Right. I may not be a meat eater, but I can growl, snarl, and yes, roar. I can also purr, and in my more affectionate moments, will cheek rub. I usually try to quell most of it because it puts people off a bit. They don't expect it."
Erin stopped and stared at him, he paused and stared back, taking a parade rest stance. "I'm trying to wrap my head around the mental image of you purring and I just can't manage it."
"What, the bunny in the military monkey suit shouldn't be able to purr?" He half-smiled.
"The uniform is awesome, and yes, it's kind of… cognitive dissonance. A predator noise from a prey species."
"You are more then welcome to eat me."
"Hey, now!"
He grinned, lightly saluted, and walked away. She stood and watched him leave, then burst into laughter, face cupped in her hands.