The Quest For Good Tea

(continued from https://newarcana.forumotion.com/t8348-my-new-home-transitioning-post#94924)

Tykal found himself walking down the halls of Philemon finally making his way to the Mermaids Tear. His eyes widened some when the doors slid open. Now this place had atmosphere. It was much more alive than the dingy quarters he had to call home for the time being. There was even carpet on the floors. The light tone was much more agreeable as well. Not too dim, not too bright there was even the faint melody of music playing for ambiance. This room smelled different than the others too. Tykal grinned some walking inside. He didn't see anyone around as his eyes perused the room with awe. "Hello?" he asked looking around as he made his way to the bar.

All around the ship Waddle-dee's were going about their requested tasks, and it was something that would no doubt not escape the notice of anyone new to the ship as the Waddle-dee's carried out their tasks in efficient silence staying to the far sides of the corridors so as not to be obstructing other peoples traffic with their teeming numbers as they scooted about the place carrying trash, doing maintenance in the halls, carrying food or other supplies to where they were needed, no matter where you looked you would see them rushing off to some location or another, or otherwise doing a job for the ship.

But in the bar, Tykal would see a Waddle-dee that was three times the size of a normal Waddle-dee making it roughly 9 feet tall, though other then it's size it looked exactly like it's smaller brethren, it was currently walking out of a side supply room with a machine to start cleaning the rug in the bar as a few other Waddle-dee's scooted on in behind Tykal and started to straiten up the place, not because they worked there but because all of them had been tasked to clean the ship, and the bar was part of the ship so here they were. though the large one on seening tykal gave a little wave to him before it started it's task.

This was quite the struggle for the blue-haired owner of the bar. Due to the time frame, the cozy bar was indeed not crowded making it a perfect opportunity while customers were not demanding his attention to clean the bar. It was a task that he and his wolf Lokita performed daily and was kind of acted as break and reset from being social. When he cleaned, the adorable creatures known as Waddle Dees did come into the place to do things they were commanded to do and for the most part he was slightly fine with this...until he was not. You see, his cleaning had been taken over by the Dees because they had been ordered to clean the whole ship....which meant also his bar. While he was quite aware of this and the fact that it was the Dees job to do these things, he still found himself conflicted when they did snag the cleaning from him. On one hand, he was like my space, my responsibility, but the biggest thing was these guys did not work for him and having people or creatures do things for free was just a bit hard to swallow. It was like having servants and that idea alone wasn’t one that sat well with him due to things in the past.

It was with great reluctance he allowed them into the supply room and allowed to them to take the machine to clean the place. He wanted to tell them no, but he didn’t exactly want to hurt them either or snag their job from them. It was a strange thing that all his logic just could not figure a great solution around in the moment. In fact, it was solutions to this issue that he was contemplating as he exited the supply room behind the creatures, a frown of thought on his face as he watched them work. However, his thoughts didn’t go far as Lokita bumped his leg with her body drawing his attention from his thoughts back to the present just as a person came in. He would hear them speak and see the reaction from the larger of the Dees as he sighed inwardly at that. He’d have to figure out what to do with the Dees later. For now, he would let them do as they liked while he did his main job as bar keeper.

With that, his expression would shift to an easy smile as he closed the door to the supply room and drifted over to behind the bar with Lokita at his side. The large black wolf would sit on her stool as Tequila focused on their guest.

“Well, well another new face. I am honored you decided to pay a visit to the Mermaid Tear. My name is Tequila. How may I serve you, Mr…” he would trail off as he tilt his head at the other leaving him to fill in the blank if he’d like to.

Tykal was taken back by the giant waddle-dee. He didn't know they came in that size. He looked a bit nervous before waving back. Tykal approached the counter seeing a wolf walk past sitting on a stool with a bewildered expression on his face. He stared at it before hearing Tequilla's voice and giving his attention there. "Mahavari." Tykal replied to Tequilla's question. He hadn't met Tequilla or the wolf before. Tequilla's appearance was certainly different with the eye patch and fashionable clothing choice. Tykal suddenly felt underdressed. He kept looking over at Lokita obviously a slight bit nervous of there being a wolf around.

Tykal looked around the bar at the waddle-dees cleaning, "I hope I didn't arrive after hours." he said with a weak grin. He'd wait for Tequilla to respond before continuing, "Sorry I was told I could get a drink here. Though now looking at this place, I'm wondering if I'm even old enough to be here." he spoke more like he was thinking aloud as he continued to view the room.

The Waddle-dee's continued on their task to clean the place, even with Tequila causing some issues at the start they simply waited for him to give his consent or for him to drop his guard so they could scoot by and do the work assigned to them The large Mega Waddle-dee continued to clean the carpet while the smaller ones ran about cleaning tables and chairs and dusting the walls as well as the light fixtures, some where even working on the door mechanism to make sure it worked correctly, others still where checking power conduits for wear and tear and repairing them.

It was probably at that moment that both Tykal and Tequila would notice, if they were paying attention to the Waddle-dee's anyway, that the number of them had increased, where that only been a handful the number had doubled as more ran in with supplies for the others that were working on ships structure in the Bar, and then they stuck around to help with other tasks in the bar like cleaning or helping to reach light fixtures, all while staying out of each others way without even looking at others coming up from behind them, one could almost compare it to watching ants work in silence.

the work was efficient though, about as skilled as a well trained maintenance and cleaning crew, and the Waddle-dee's were even repairing the tables and chairs that had gotten damaged from the rough shifting of the ships previously, some were even just running in with fresh linen for the tables and to replace the cleaning cloths at the bar....further increasing the amount of Waddle-dee's in the bar, though some where also leaving with the dirty cloths, broken parts, or other garbage or detritus.

Only the large one seemed to not be in any rush, though why was probably unknowable to the two at the bar as the WAddle-dee's continued their silent work.

Tequila would pretty much resign himself to the fact that no matter how much the little Dees brought both torment and happiness to him, he could not stop them from working. It was a bit sad, but giving up on a plan to how to make this work fairly in his head was far from gone. It was more like it was put on hold as he turned his focus to the green eyed blonde that had walked in. This kid was one of the folks that had been on the bridge along with the shadow man and the pink haired one he had yet to meet. He was pretty sure there were other new folks he was missing, but he figured with time he’d meet each new face that came aboard this ship. In any case of the three he met, this one seemed to be the most nervous or unsure of things. Whether that was due to being somewhere quite unfamiliar to him or something else was questionable, but for now the blue haired male did not pry as he instead watched the way the other waved back to the large Dee and his reaction to Lokita. Alright. That last reaction seemed to be a normal reaction most had when encountering Lokita for the first time. Huh, maybe it was strange to have a wolf about for everyone except him. The only person he could remember not being concerned about Lokita was Grimm and well the Dees, but he had been around long enough for them to probably be used to seeing the large canine around.

That aside, his wandering thoughts would come to a halt as he got a name from the other. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. "Mahavari,” he would begin before shifting focus to address the elephant in the room. “So I am taking from your reaction that this is the first time you encountering a wolf face-to-face, yes? Does she scare you?” he would ask as he observed the other’s behavior. As for Lokita, she would stay on her stool for the most part though her attention was on the little Dees that were moving about and increasing in number. Tequlia tried to ignore this fact though it was hard, even more so with the comment the other gave. “Nah. It just happened to be down time for me and I was going to do clean up, but….” he’d trail off as he had no choice, but to bring focus to the Dees as he gestured to them moving about. They were everywhere…and it was killing him.

Why were they so damn cute and yet caused him so much conflict at the same time? This was just….He could not understand it and apparently could not handle so many milling about without either. Giving his guest a polite excuse me, he’d move to the nearest Dee on his side of the counter with him and picked it up. He’d give it a hug before simply holding it in his arms as as he let out a sigh. Perfect manly image ruined, but he didn’t care this time. He needed to do something with the torment these little cute buggers were causing and if they were going to mill about and increase causing him more torment from working. Well then, he was going to steal one and keep it from working for now. So there. Illogical yes, but this was a complex situation for him when it came to the Dees. Anyway, still holding the little Dee he had nabbed, he would turn back to his guest. Giving him a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that. Anywho, you are fine. I may be a bar owner, but I do have some food and other drinks that are not just for the older folks. I try to cater to most who come in here,” he would say. “Though outside of wanting to know what you’d like to drink, how old are ya anyway?” he would ask as Lokita found a way to lay down on her chair as she watched the Dees move about.

((OOC: Reference for Lokita's looks: Here))

Tykal couldn't help but also feel a bit of unease as the waddle-dees seemed to multiply throughout the bar. There were so many he was beginning to wonder how many of them existed on the ship. It also didn't help that originally he wanted some time to think and be alone with his thoughts. He turned to the blue haired man, Tequilla as he continued. He looked over at Lokita still a bit uneasy. "Only in zoos I'm afraid. In my time wolves are considered dangerous animals that you typically don't want to encounter." He paused realizing what he said might be misconstrued as offensive, "Nn..not that its a bad thing. I just am not used to seeing one is all." It was cute watching him hug the tiny waddle-dee but like Tequilla had thought it definitely emasculated him just a bit. This was fine with Tykal since he himself wasn't the most manly of men. Tykal physically was somewhat androgynous. His voice was soft and sweet for the most part, airy and neutral in tone. Add his medium length hair and eccentric flair when he throws his knives, it could bring into question a few things about him.

Tykal smiled some when he was asked his age. Given everything that had happened not one soul exchanged ages. One was left only to assume. It was almost nostalgic being asked and visible eased some of his tension with a slight chuckle. "I'm 17 at the moment, well I don't really know since I was thrown in a different time, if we counted the years I jumped I may be significantly older." Tykal moved his hands as he spoke feeling much more comfortable allowing him to fall back to natural habits. "Though I wasn't looking for any alcoholic beverages. Honestly, I'd really just like a cup of tea if you have it." Tykal looked at the module on his arm as he spoke. "Ever since the surgery I feel like I've been on even more edge than before." he purposely left out the part where he dreamed he was in that strange garden or the minor hallucinations he kept having involving hearing Stolas or seeing falling black feathers randomly. It was something he wasn't sure was supposed to happen or if he needed to speak with the Captain about. "I'm actually shocked I'm not hungry, I'm pretty sure it's been a whole day and I've ate nothing more than ash from Agni's attacks. I'd take something small if you have it."

The Waddle-dee's continued to scoot about the place, cleaning and generally tidying up and doing maintenance, the repairs to the tables and chairs were almost done as well and decorations that had been on the walls and fell off or damaged were also repaired and placed back on the wall, light fixtures were repaired and the lights replaced with new ones, power conduits in the walls where checked and repaired if needed, fuses were replaced. All this was happening as the two continued to talk.

Then one of the Waddle-dee's that was working behind the Bar to clean some of the lower shelving was picked up and it flailed for a second before relaxing and just letting itself be held, then as it was hugged the Waddle-dee smiled and looked quite happy as it continued to be held, though as it was in Tequila's arms another Waddle-dee wandered up and the one that was being held passed it's cleaning cloth to the free Waddle-dee who proceeded to continue the cleaning the other had been doing.

Meanwhile another Waddle-dee was cleaning the legs of the chair that Lokita was sitting on and then looked up at the wolf, now when they first seen the wolf, none of the Waddle-dee's ever acted in fear, which was probably the oddest thing about them, and still they didn't react in fear despite being so small, this one Waddle-dee then reached up and gently booped Lokita's nose and smiled before rushing off out of the bar only to return shortly afterwords carrying a dog treat and giving it to Lokita before gently petting the wolf and looking very happy to have the canine around.

All the While the Large Waddle-dee continued to clean the rug, vacuuming and then once that was done it got out the rug washer and started to do that next, the whole time it moved slowly to allow the smaller Waddle-dee's to scoot around it as they did their various jobs, and as it moved around a few of the smaller Waddle-dee's would climb up it and stand on it to change lights that they couldn't normally reach before sliding back down it and rushing off to do other work.

By this time the number of Waddle-dee's had reduced by about half of what it was after the sudden swell of Waddle-dee's, now leaving maybe fifteen in the bar that were still doing repair and maintenance work. One was now walking along the bar top cleaning it with a wash cloth and polishing out any smudges as the two talked.

To say the amount of Dees that had swarmed the place was comfortable was something that only those that liked tons of beings around them could agree. While Tequila didn’t mind a crowded place and was quite used to it considering his line of business, when it came to the Dees, it was almost like having ants. They were everywhere, but he didn’t want to destroy them or anything. He was just left torn between annoyance and guilt. It was a bad spot to be in, but for the most part he was able to keep this internal conflict within him as he focused on his guest.

When it came to the wolf topic, he would tilt his head with a slight frown of thought. “In zoos, huh? Hmmm. My home was a bit more wild, so they were kind of my neighbors in a way. I agree they can be dangerous, but most of the time they just tried to stay away from populated areas. I never had issues with them and just saw them as part of life. Though that could be just because of where I lived. In any case, there is nothing to worry about, I just find the reactions a bit curious is all. With the exception of one person, most do react to her with some form of shock, curiosity, or fear, so I suppose it isn’t the norm to have one around,” he would say with a small chuckle. “Anyway, she won’t hurt you unless you do something dumb to provoke her. She is still wild, but quite calm and gentle. Been a constant companion for me for a long while now.” He would finish giving the wolf a gentle and loving look. She was literally his best friend and he wouldn’t trade her for nothing.

In any case, when it came to the Waddle Dee, he would feel it wiggle when he picked it up, but after a while it relaxed and seemed happy with his action…and maybe just maybe he would’ve thought he had somehow succeeded, but no. Even holding one hostage this did not stop the little creatures. Nope just another popped up to finish what the other couldn’t do because he held it. Argh! What to do? It was certainly something that made him blink a few times as he watched the other one clean behind the counter.

Shaking his head with a huff, he’d refocus on the customer as he let the little Dees do what they wanted, though he refused to release the one he was currently holding. He’d take notice of the guys smile and the way he became animated with his talk and found himself somewhat relaxing at the sight of it. “Well, I unfortunately can’t help you there even more so since time travel doesn’t seem to be a thing according to Cap’.” He remembered asking that question when they were on the bridge, but he had to wonder... if it was not possible to time travel, then what exactly happened to bring people from an older time frame to them? He made a note in his memory banks to ask the Captain about this the next time he saw him. As for what he heard next, he would find himself looking at the module the other was looking at as he spoke.

“I can imagine it must be tough to adjust to the way things are here. Even more so since it seems you all walked into a war zone and was forced into battle. I can imagine the body just didn’t have time to relax and take it all in, thus focusing on what it needed to survive which wasn’t food or drink, but that alright. I got you covered. If you want a cup of tea, then do you prefer hot or cold? Green or black? Sweet or not sweet?” he would begin as he shifted the Waddle Dee in his arms so he was carrying it more like a child on his hip freeing up one of his arms. “As for food I can’t provide you a full meal, but I have small things like chips, peanuts, popcorn, and other such snacky items. Though I could go in the back and see what is the fridge. I am pretty sure I have something to make maybe a taco or something small like that.” If the kid wanted a bigger or healthier meal he would have to go to cafeteria for that.

Meanwhile as the two talked, Lokita would busy herself watching the Dees and at one point lowered her head down to try and sniff at the one cleaning the legs on her stool. When that little one booped her on the nose, she would pull her head back shaking it a bit shocked as she blinked a bit and then tilting her head quite confused when the little one ran away…and brought her a thing? She stare at the thing before sniffing at it. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t smell bad and it looked interesting enough. Hmm maybe it was food? Being careful and seemingly aware of her size, the wolf would take the gift from the small creature into her mouth before giving a slight crunch to taste it. Hmm. It didn’t taste bad at all. While the wolf ate the treat, she would allow the little one to pet her, her tail moving slightly in a wag. Though much like her owner she wasn’t too sure what to do with the Dees just yet, but unlike him she seemed less stressed about the things they did.

In any case, as Tequila talked with the guests and Lokita sat enjoying her treat and pets. The Waddle Dees would begin to clear out leaving more space to breathe than before. A good thing perhaps. Though the Dee on the cleaning the counter would be noticed, but unlike the first one would not be captured….yet.

Tykal nodded relieved that his reaction wasn't misconstrued as rude. He looked around at all the waddle-dees. There were so many it was beginning to feel packed in the bar. He smiled warmly at the dee in tequila's arm. It was hard not to be taken in by how cute it looked. His eyes did widen some when another dee just took the towel from it and immediately went to work. "If you didn't know any better you'd think they were programmed automatons." Tykal said observing them work diligently. He could see Tequila's irritation with them as well. At least someone on this ship seemed to have normal predicted reactions. Given the people he was recently all of them seemed off in one way or another. It made him wonder if he was as normal as he viewed himself as.

Tequila asked what kind of tea he'd like. Tykal gave a warm grin thinking of tea. It was something of a sedative for him. It helped him relax and focus his thoughts. It was an almost psudeo-spiritual activity for him. "I doubt you carry darjeeling tea so any black or oolong would be preferred. Hot and lightly sweet if you wouldn't mind." Tykal smiled cheerfully. As he did his stomach let out a loud grumbling. Tykal's eyes widened and his face went red with embarrassment. "I'm... so sorry" he said defeated. It had been some long time since his stomach had groaned at him even more so in front of another person. Tykal awkwardly smiled, "I uhhh... think I'll take you up on some peanuts or popcorn." He needed to do something to satiate his appetite before his stomach groans abruptly again.

The Large Waddle-dee continued to do it's work, seemingly quite happy to help as it was smiling as it washed the rug, it was being very through with it's work, and a few normal sized Waddle-dee's were helping it by moving tables and chairs out of the way and then placing them back after it had cleaned that spot, the rub being one of the few things that needed to be finished up but there was only the one Rug Washer the good news was it was leaving the rug washed and dry so there wasn't that unplesent wet rug smell in the air.

Meanwhile the other Waddle-dee near Lokita was sitting with the wolf and petting her, before another Waddle-dee ran up with a couple of brushes and the two looked at the wolf while holding the brushes, as if asking if it was okay to groom the wolf's fur.

The one in Tequila's arms stayed there happily, though as it was moved aside so he could work it squirmed a bit as it seem him getting ready to do something and it was quite obviously trying to help or at least wanted to be helpful. Though after a few moments were it was clear Tequila wasn't gonna let it go the Waddle-dee settled down once more and just let itself be held, still smiling.

the remaining Waddle-dee on the counter that was wiping it down continued to scoot along it as it worked, slowly now passing between Tequila and Tykal as it diligently did the task it had set itself to, only stopping long enough to eave to the two of them before continuing on.

The little Waddle Dees were indeed cute; however, they did cause the bot distress due to both numbers and them wanting to take all the work. While he didn’t outwardly fuss at them, it was clear by the fact that he had nabbed one and the fact he wasn’t exactly pleased with the replacement that the blue haired bot was not liking this very much. Despite this, he managed to remain friendly as he interacted with his guest. To what was said, Tequila gave a slight snort as he shook his head watching the Big Waddle Dee clean and the other’s help.

“Well even there you could probably control numbers and such with settings. I honestly don’t get how they can just work for free like this. It drives me a bit batty to be frank,” he’d say with a soft chuckle and a sheepish look. He honestly didn’t understand them or how they could invade his place like this. He was aware they had a job to do and such, but what if the one receiving help preferred things a different way or didn’t want them there? Did it make them mad or sad if someone told them off or shooed them away? Just how did they function and what drove them to be this way? He was curious about them, but also aware that this sort of behavior was an issue for him at least. He didn’t hate them, but seriously if they wanted to help him that badly there would have to be boundaries set and a certain way this was done in order for him to keep his sanity and keep his customers comfortable. For now though, he would let them clean simply because he didn’t want to cause too much of a scene with a customer here….or at least that was his plan initially. Anywho…the war against the Dees aside, he would see the reaction the other gave to mention of tea.

“Ah. Unfortunately I only have English Breakfast and simple green tea for now. Though I’ll see if I can find some way to get more varieties. Tell me, do you just like those particular flavors or do you simply enjoy tea itself?” he would ask as he kept the waddle Dee secured on his hip, moving it slightly further away so it could not reach the tea kettle he moved to get from under the counter. He would keep an ear out for the other as he moved about getting the kettle ready and putting it on a burner on the other side of the bar. Once that was done, he’d get a cup and tea bag ready working pretty effectively for someone with one arm free and trying to keep a little Dee from helping. Once most of that was done, he just had to wait for the water to boil.

Though he would turn a bit to look at the other when his stomach grumbled, an amused smirk coming over his face as he saw the other’s reaction. “You know you’re pretty cute being embarrassed like that over your stomach,” he would tease as he shifted his weight to move find the peanuts. He’d find the can he was looking for and grab it debating something before drifting over to the other and putting the can down with a smile. “Here. Let’s start with this and if you are still hungry afterwards I can get you something else. Also, do you prefer sugar or honey in your tea?” It was rare he gave his customers things for free, but he’d be nice to the new kid just this once. Anyway, there would be a bit of time before the water was finished boiling so then.

As the little Dee cleaning the counter made its way between them. It would find itself too snagged up by the bot, this time his irritation with them slightly more apparent. Holding both, he would look at each of them with a slight frown.

“Look I don’t mind you guys cleaning and all that, but can you please just cut down on numbers? I’ll allow the one cleaning carpet to finish the job and you two can do the other cleaning if you must, but the rest of the work and Dees?” he’d shake his head. “Leave that to me and please tell your friends to go, ok?” He was trying to be as direct as possible without being mean to the little creatures even if it was kind of hard to put a foot down with something so adorable, but he honestly was losing patience and if he didn’t do something now he would do something much worse the more he held back and let the agitation boil. He did not want that to happen.

He could handle three or four of the Dees at the most being around doing cleaning only, but the rest had to go. It was just a bit too much for him and probably his customer too. Also it would seem Lokita would be on the same page there.

You see while the large wolf was fine with the little Dee that petted her when the whole brush thing came up, she would blink a bit before leaning down and trying to pluck the brush right out of the nearest Dee’s little hands. If she was successful, she’d toss it to the side before trying to get at the second brush. It was apparent from behavior she did not want to be brushed or pampered even more. She wasn’t being mean. Just being herself and saying no in her own way.

Tykal began to feel like a stranger in an ant hill with all dees working around him. The quiet little bar was certainly becoming packed. Tykal was unaware the dee's worked for free. "Free?" he said almost to himself as he watched the dees at work. He wasn't the type that liked to do something for nothing. Even if it wasn't monetary value every labor could be traded for something. Tykal particularly liked the reward of watching his garden grow after spending so many hours tending it. He wondered if the dees got something out of this or if they were more akin to persona-esque slaves. The thought was interrupted by Tequila informing of the teas he had. Tykal figured they'd be out of his favorite tea. That was fine he wasn't in his world and even in Japan it was hard to get Indian tea easily. "You don't have to go through the trouble, I'm a fan of most teas. That one just happens to be my favorite. I'll take a simple green if that's what you have." he replied with a soft smile. Tea time was therapeutic and was a go to for social drinks. Tykal didn't drink alcohol, not that he didn't have a single glass of wine at holidays thanks to his parents leniency, he just didn't get the big draw. Also tea had a complex taste based on so many factors it was fascinating to research. Depending on soil-type, climate, altitude, and so forth tea could have a variety of flavors. The darjeeling tea was a spiced tea with a musky taste to it. It was especially delicious when brewed as a black or oolong tea.

When his stomach growled and he turned red, his host seemed to find it charming. Tykal was still flustered as Tequila said he was 'pretty cute'. Tykal's eyes widened again. He prided himself on his composure but here he found himself at a loss for words or proper reaction. This was foreign territory. Tykal hadn't been called 'cute' before, at least not since he matured into a young adult. It made it more foreign that it was what Tykal assumed was a male telling him this. Tykal never gave much thought to the prospects of his sexuality. It was somewhat taboo for same-sex attraction but Tykal didn't care about petty things like that. For him attraction was based on personality and general appeal to him personally. Tequila was certainly stylish and handsome but Tykal didn't give it a full thought until he was called cute. Aesthetically Tequila was pleasing and from their short interaction Tequila was intriguing having a wolf companion, running a bar, and the whole eye patch thing. Blue hair and a charming demeanor helped his case too. "Uhh... I...er..." Tykal seemed lost trying to find the right words to respond to that. Tykal's face was as red as a beet as his eyes shifted about frantically.

Thankfully Tequilla didn't give Tykal's reaction much time as he reached for the peanuts and placed the jar in front of him. All while juggling the dee in one arm. Tykal became more rosy than red as he calmed down a bit and nodded, "Thank you." He reached in an grabbed a small handful of peanuts and began to eat them. He was grateful they were peanuts and not something less healthy. Peanuts were after all filling and a high source of energy producing fats and proteins. Tykal quickly grabbed another handful as his appetite returned with the first bunch of peanuts. Though he was eating them quickly he tried his best to maintain just a swift consumption rather than the semi-starved craving he was feeling. He replied after a noticeable swallowing. "These will be fine. Thank you. Honey if you don't mind, just a teaspoon or so. Too much sweat ruins the batch." Tequila was certainly thoughtful. Perhaps it was because Tykal was just a customer but after calling him cute Tykal began to wonder if there was more too it. No no, he was likely just over analyzing things. It was a flaw of his after all.

Tykal quietly watched as Tequila seemed to his limit on the dee's intrusion. Tykal smiled watching the whole thing. A part of him wanted to do the same with all the dees but it wasn't his place to say anything. He gave a soft chuckle, "I guess fair is fair. Now that was 'cute'" he said quoting Tequila. Truthfully the scene was quiet adorable and hopefully at the least quoting Tequila would make Tykal's flustered appearance a bit more socially tolerable.

The Waddle-dee's being held captive by Tequila didn't seem to react to him yelling, they didn't seem scared at least, they seemed to be honestly listening to his complaint and after he finished the gave a little Salute as the other Waddle-dee's left the room in an orderly fashion actually a Keep eye would have noticed they had started leaving as soon as Tequila made his issue known, no words spoken by the Waddle-dee's they simply cleaned up what they were working on, grabbed the little tools and extra supplies they had brought with them and left with a polite wave as they headed out the door.

The only waddle-dee's remaining where the two held by Tequila, the two near Lokita and the one Mega waddle-dee cleaning the rub still smiling happily at its work, gently bouncing on it's heels as if listening to some Rhythm the three non Waddle-dee's in the room couldn't hear, slowly wandering around with the rug cleaner to make sure it's job was done flawlessly.

The two Waddle-dee's with Lokita once seeing her grab a brush and toss it aside seemed to nod and the one Waddle-dee ran to fetch the brush then put both away in the storage cabinet before the it returned and the two sat near Lokita and raist a hand each to see if she would let them pet her at least, Clearly able to understand her rather clear message of not wanting to be pampered, but wanting to be around the floofy wolf.

The last two that were being held by Tequila continued to hold their little salutes though now they were smiling as they hoped he was happy with the thinning of the Waddle-dee's in the room, they didn't seem upset or sad that he got mad at them, and seemed genuinly happy and seemed to just want to help.

“Well, they come and do their work and I certainly haven’t paid them yet, so unless they are getting some sort of reward or joy out of this that I am unaware of... Then yeah. Pretty much free.” He wasn’t sure how others treated the situation with the Dees or even the Captain for that matter, but for him the fact the Dees came in and did work without a complaint in the world certainly made it seem like free labor to him. And that…just didn’t seem right. Work needed to be rewarded or something good coming out of it in order to be worth it for anyone…right? Hmmm…Well he wasn’t sure with the Dees. He wasn’t sure exactly what they were, but they had to have a reason for doing this right? He honestly wish he could ask, but wasn’t even sure he could get an answer there. Anyway…tea.

His selection was limited, but who knew what could be found if they got the ship moving again and ended up on other planets. He could broaden the variety of teas and maybe find some other interesting things to stock up on. Mix things up a bit you know? Speaking of that, he would find himself giving an amused snort at the other. “Nah. It is no trouble, but my job actually. Gotta make sure to have the best for my customers after all,” he would say playfully before nodding as he heard the request for the green tea, shifting a bit to get the proper bag of tea as the water continued to work its way to a boil.

When it came to the stomach growling matter and what the blue haired bot had said, he would find himself highly amused at the reaction he got from the other. It was true that it was probably was odd for a guy to tell another guy such things and maybe in some cases down right disgusting or something worthy of disapproval in some cultures; however, Tequila wasn’t one that was bound by such rules. He could love any race or gender if they had the right personality and traits to them. For him it was more about who the person was rather than what they were. When he was truly interested, he wasn’t shy about letting someone he wasn't shy about letting the other side know just how he felt if he did grow attached in such a way; however, for that sort of connection to work, he had to actually get to know the person to determine if he even wanted to go that far. This playful teasing here? This was simply his norm and while it could be considered cruel, he did find it entertaining to see how people took or didn’t take to it. And this kid was no exception to the rule. He honestly was cute and not bad looking even with that lovely shade of red spread across his face. Still if the other wanted him to seriously consider him, they would need more than this one meeting to figure where they truly stood with each other.

In any case, he’d let the guy recover as he found him some food and well…the kid certainly didn’t seem to be lying when he said it had been a while since he ate. He was eating those peanuts at a quick pace that had the bot raising his eyebrow a bit, but he wouldn’t say anything about it as he instead gave a pleased nod.

“My pleasure. And Finally someone who doesn’t want their tea overly sweet. I can’t deny a good batch of tea is best plain or faintly sweetened or flavored.” Adding too much to it would just lead the tea to losing what made it special. Granted, he couldn’t tell someone demanding tons of sweetness or flavor that, but it was a thing in his book.

That aside, the bot indeed was thoughtful and trying to figure out this one’s taste just in case he wandered by again and asked for another cup of tea. At least he’d know how to prepare it the way the other liked it next round. Outside of this reasoning, it would be a mystery if there was something more to his kindness towards this one, but for now it could be assumed the kid was just a customer unless further investigated.

In any case, he’d have to pull himself away from his guest as he got at the Dees. Dees that made him conflicted once more on if he should be pleased or distressed at the situation. They did obey very well and after their mission was completed and their numbers thinned, Tequila’s shoulders would slump a bit in defeat as he shook his head.

“Geez mon. How can I stay mad at you guys when you go and do that?” he’d mutter and release only one Dee to allow it to go back to cleaning. The other he apparently wanted to keep holding. He’d huff a bit at the kid though and shake his head a smirk returning to his face as he moved to attend to the kettle that was now softly whistling.

Working still with one arm, he’d pour the water in the cup to let the tea begin to seep for the time being. As he worked, he’d respond back. “Well, this will have to do until I find another solution. At least now I know they do listen and very well,” he would say and then looking back at the other, he’d give a mischievous grin. “Oho? You liked that hmm? Tell me what else you think about me?” he’d tease as he waggled his eyebrows at the other more so in play than anything else. Curious what the other would do now.

As for the two little ones with Lokita. The good thing is they understood her message and after watching what they did, the black wolf would consider them for a moment before hopping off her stool and landing on the floor with a light thud. Afterwards, she would actually lay down and allow the two little Dees to pet her. Perhaps her way of rewarding them for obeying or maybe she liked the pets. It was hard to say.