wait for it

Theodore chuckled. “Sounds like her real flaw was friendliness more than anything else.” She sounded like a nice dog. He had family and friends growing up who fondly described their dogs as dumb. “Do you miss her? You could get one to replace her. Or a smarter dog, if you’d prefer? I know some people like poodles for that reason.” He shrugged. To him, he suspected it would be the same as most people–he eats meat, after all, but feeding a snake a reheated mouse might turn his stomach too. He’d never had a lizard before. “Oh, thanks for your forgiveness. And I’ll forgive the Phillies, since you grew up there. Though it doesn’t sound like we should watch games together.”

“It really was.” Peter sighed, replying what could almost be considered wistfully, “Just a big dumb dog.” Shaking his head, Peter sighed again. He could probably use the companionship of a dog. Heaven knew he spent too much time to himself, going back and forth between the gym and home and rarely stopping to talk to too many people. The Doc was probably the closest thing Peter had to a friend at this point. He’d once considered Flynn a friend but things were too rocky - awkward, even - between them at this point. “You know, what I do. I should get a dog since it’s one of the few individual things they even let us have around here.” He laughed loudly at the mention of a poodle, “I can’t get a poodle. I need a big tough dog. Like me.” Peter puffed out his chest comically. “Oh we can watch games together. Just know my team will whoop your team’s ass.” He joked.

“I mean…they might have? I just tend to glaze over when they explain it all.” He gave his jaw another click before steadying himself back to his feet. “I’ll pay more attention next time I guess,” he said following suit and raising his fists. “Hey if we were using powers, I’d win hands down.” Maybe playing cocky after a hit to the jaw wasn’t the best idea, but Landon had a rep to keep up.

.

“Maybe I should add a waiver.” He grinned, still bopping and dancing around the ring. Peter was getting cocky, as he normally did whenever he was in a ring. “Sure you would. You have the training facilities for those. This?” Peter paused, having watched the way Landon stalked around the ring and calculated his moves, dropped low into a crouch and spun, kicking out Landon’s legs from beneath him. “This is my house. These are my rules. You’re here to fight and you’re gonna learn.” He held out his hand for Landon to take to help him up, “Don’t zero in on the hands and face.”

“An earth fissure is…” Elizabeth pressed her lips together into a thin line, pondering on how to even explain it. “It’s pretty much just a chasm in the ground.” She motioned towards the floor. “A portion of separated earth, like a crack. But the ones I make tend to be… larger. Large enough for people to fall into them.” He had hoped that she explained well enough for him to understand. “I mean, more dangerous than cool but… I suppose it’s neat to those that aren’t used to that sort of thing.”

.

“A crack...” Peter trailed off, mulling over the idea as she answered. “So it’s a hole. A big ol’ hole.” He thought back to movies he’d seen recently, end of times type things that were really the same story over and over. “Does lava ever come out of them? Or is that fake movie mumbo jumbo and lava doesn’t really pop up out of the earth at random?” He mimed something popping up with his hand, pressing his fingertips together and pulling them apart as his hand moved upward. “Well sure, most powers here are really more dangerous than cool underneath it all. But you could put it back together if you broke it apart, right?”

Theodore smiled. He liked guessing right, though to be fair, he also liked being right. It was a natural state for him. “That was an easy one. Most people like dogs. They’re generally popular animals. Did you have one? Or–I guess I should ask if you do have one?” Some people had pets, after all. “Hmm, I guess that probably happens, with the whole dead food part. Then again, dog food is made of dead meat; it’s just in a different form.” Theodore cut himself off there, lest he gross Peter out further. “The Angels,” he answered instead. “I grew up not far from Anaheim and people generally like the closest team. Are you a Phillies fan?”

.

“We had a Boxer growing up named Roxy, real dumb dog. Probably the dumbest dog I’ve ever met.” Peter nodded, chuckling to himself. “We had a six foot wooden fence, she’d clear it. Put in an electric fence, she’d charge right through it even after we cranked it up. Just to say hi to somebody walking by.” A shadow of a smile crossed Peter’s face as he recalled the dopey dog with fondness. “I don’t have one here. I should get one though.” He leaned back against the bench, drumming his fingers on his knees as he thought about it more. A dog would do him some good. Running partner, companion, convenient excuse. Can’t stay to chat, gotta get home to let the dog out. “That’s a fair point, Doc. Presentation is everything though, I mean, dead mouse versus little kibble bits. It’s a no-brainer.” He figured Theodore knew more about just how the bits of meat became those dry pieces of kibble, he just wasn’t sure he wanted to know how. “I’ll forgive the Angels thing since you guessed Phillies right.” Peter feigned disgust, leaning away from Theodore, “I’ll allow it if you grew up there.”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile as she watched him pretend he was surfing. She placed a hand over her mouth, trying to disguise her amusement but failing horribly at it. A small laugh escaped her lips. “I appreciate the compliment, I–” She jerked back slightly at his comment. Did he just call her beautiful? Or did he call the wave beautiful? Elizabeth turned slightly, shaking her head back and forth. You’re over analyzing a simple conversation, Eliza. She thought to herself as she turned back, noticing him giving her a thumbs up. “Less likely to make anything break and fall on top of people.” She muttered. “Although, still a chance to accidentally suck people into potential earth fissure’s I create.” Still dangerous.

---

Peter tilted his head, grinning, as she tried and failed to keep her laugh to herself. It faltered as she jerked slightly, leaving Peter wondering what he had said wrong or maybe, she felt something in the earth that he couldn’t. “I won’t pretend to know what an earth fissure is.” He shook his head, wishing he’d had his friend, the walking encyclopedia with him, “But it sounds cool. I’m sure it’s less cool than I’m thinking, but it sounds cool.”

“They are all rodents. Well, not rabbits, but guinea pigs and rats.” Theodore chuckled. “Is there an animal family you do like? Let’s see.” He stared at Peter, eyes narrowing as he tried to guess what sort of animal someone like Peter might like. “Dogs seem like the easy answer, don’t they? You live an active lifestyle. Then again, fish and amphibians are easier to care for. Hmm…” He trailed off, uncertain of the answer. Peter’s dad being both moderation and extremes seemed paradoxical, but Theodore understood. Parents could, at time, seem like contradictions to their children. He was sure if he became a parent, it would be the same story. “I don’t watch football much,” Theodore admitted with a shrug. “So I’m not sure I have a favorite football team. But I like baseball and soccer. How about you?” He could absolutely and easily imagine Peter playing on a football team, though probably not at the college or pro level, due to his size.

--

Peter exaggerated a shrug. They were all rodents to him, just some that were fuzzier and - to be fair - a little cuter than others. But he knew the good doctor would argue otherwise and, for once, Peter wasn’t looking for a fight. “No, you nailed it on dog.” Peter replied, shoulders shaking with a laugh. “My brother had a snake when we were growing up. Hated that thing. He just had to have it but I ended up having to take care of it because he couldn’t stomach giving it the rats.” He feigned a shudder, recalling how he’d have to buy the mice and feed them to the animal since his brother couldn’t do any part of it. “I do like baseball, never got much into soccer,” Peter wrinkled his nose and shook his head, “Who’s your favorite baseball team?”

Peter Mulligan | Hercules Mulligan We’re in the shit now, somebody’s gotta shovel it/Hercules Mulligan, I need no introduction/When you knock me down I get the fuck back up again

Theodore couldn’t help but smile a little. Peter clearly understood him, if he was suggesting another research topic to add to the pile. Theodore was someone who liked having a project or twelve. “Well, guinea pigs are cute. People think rats are creepy. So no one feels bad about doing research on them. That’s my guess anyway.” He shrugged. Peter’s and his relationship wasn’t the sort where they talked about each other’s families all the time or anything, so Theodore took in the new information with some curiosity. “I see. So he’s a man who likes moderation?” Theodore’s lip cocked up at one side. “Sports talk is also small talk. I think I knew that, too.”

“They’re all rodents to me.” Peter shook his head, screwing his face up in mock disgust. “I’m not a rodent person. Or cat person. Not too fond of reptiles either.” He shuddered slightly, thinking back to a snake his younger brother had just had to have as a kid, and how it was Peter who ended up having to help him take care of it. Peter considered the question about his dad for a pause, bouncing his head from one side to the other and rolling his palms together. “He’s both moderation and extremes. He’s not quiet about his opinions either way.” He chuckled to himself, thinking how it was one of the many things he’d inherited from his father. “Sports talk is great small talk. You got a favorite team, Doc?”

“A surfing attraction?” Elizabeth asked, having never thought of such a thing before. “I suppose I could. Just have to make sure I control my power.” She shrugged her shoulders. Thankfully, she could stop her power whenever it got too out of hand but she had never practiced it around water. “It might be better if I start off at the lake first. I wouldn’t want to ruin the pool.”

“Yeah, you know...” He trailed off, miming the action of surfing with his arms and a wiggle at the waist.·“I’d say you’ve got a handle on it, that was a real gentle wave, you stopped it when I got in, beautiful.” Peter clicked his tongue and gave her a thumbs up.·“But you might be on to something with starting at the lake first. More water, less concrete.”

“I…don’t know.” It was one of the few sentences that could bring hesitation into Theodore’s voice. As a general rule, he knew something about most things. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he knew everything–he patently did not, and thank god for that–but the question went beyond the scope of his knowledge on the history of animal testing. He’d have to do some reading. “Maybe it was a compromise with medical scientists? That would be my guess.” He listened to Peter’s explanation, mentally filing the information away. People like to talk about the weather because it’s easy. Peter’s dad likes to talk about rain. Not that Theodore would have much cause to talk to Peter’s dad, as far as he was aware. “That’s true, I guess. It’s hard not to notice it. Does your dad live in a very dry or very wet place?”·

Peter snapped his fingers, tilting his head, and raising one eyebrow at Theodore,·“Sounds like a research topic for you, Doc.” He teased, knowing Theodore was probably busy and Peter himself could very easily look up the question himself.·“A compromise would make sense. They have to study on something but it’s just...why guinea pigs as the hill they’re willing to die on.” He chuckled, looking straight ahead.·“A little bit of both, depending on the day,” Peter replied, chuckling,·“I’m from the Philadelphia area. If it’s rained too much lately, he’ll comment on that. If it hasn’t rained in a couple of weeks, he’ll comment on that. He’s very prideful of his lawn, you see.” Peter rolled his hands together as he talked about his dad,·“He’ll either start talking about his lawn or ask somebody how they think the Birds are going to do that season.” He paused, chuckling to himself,·“The Philadelphia Eagles, that is.”

“Mice and rats, at least for psychological testing. Rabbits and monkeys and, strangely enough–pigs for physiological things,” Theodore responded automatically. “They do drug tests in rabbits sometimes. Though rats too. Guinea pigs fell out of fashion because of animal rights activists, I think.” He frowned. He’d read something that mentioned that, but didn’t really know the specifics. He’d have to look them up. “Oh, yes, that’s true. I am also in the weather. But that’s what people always use as their example of small talk. Why do they do that?” To his small surprise, he wasn’t frustrated at his lack of success. It just brought more questions. Like, for example, if everyone used the weather as their example for small talk, was it because they did their small talk indoors? Or only via phone where you might not be in the same place? How odd.

Peter shook his head as Theodore rattled off the different animals and their various testing uses, almost in disbelief.·“So the animal rights activists went for guinea pigs but said monkeys, rabbits, mice, and rats are all good?” It was so nonsensical to him that he chuckled lightly to himself. He pondered the question of small talk topics and shrugged when he couldn’t come up with a good answer,·“I guess because it’s easy? Anybody can talk about the weather. Everybody knows what the weather is like because they’re in it.” Peter could do nothing but shrug again, this time exaggerated,·“I know my dad loves to talk about how much rain we’ve gotten or how much we need rain whenever he needs an opener.”