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One of two things happen when Foo Fighters’ water cup is knocked over, or otherwise disturbed, really.
“F.F.… Foo, no–” Jolyne makes a dive for the girl but they’re too fast.
Don’t tell Foo that they’re crazy for leaving their water cup in the middle of the mess hall floor where any prisoner can simply stroll past and knock it aside, and even in rare instances when it’s someone without malicious intent who spills it, which happens to be the case here.
“I– I’m sorry!” The poor girl yelps, but the second water hits the floor, Foo shows no mercy.
“YOU SPILLED MY WATER!” There’s a blur of green when Foo barrels into the inmate and sits on top of her, much like a large dog might do to an unwelcome intruder.
“Foo, knock it off!” Eremes manages to drag a thrashing and kicking Foo off the frightened inmate and back to their table. “Seriously, don’t blame other people when you leave your cup just lying around!”
“It’s mine, they shouldn’t touch it regardless.” Foo makes a face and snatches the cup from the floor, shrugging Ermes off and stalking over to the water fountain for a refill.
“Or at least get a lid for it. Hell, get a bottle.” Ermes leans against the wall next to the fountain.
“Then how am I supposed to drink from it?” Foo is very confused, the concept of a lid or a cap being lost on them. A lid or a cap might as well just be an added barrier and the only thing stopping the water from entering Foo’s very parched system.
“You take it off?” Jolyne pulls out her own bottle and demonstrates, unscrewing the cap and putting it back on, then shaking it. “See? That way even if you shake it around, or if people knock it over, the water will still be inside.”
Foo looks positively mesmerized. Jolyne hands them the bottle, and Foo stares at it for a moment, before immediately clamping their mouth over the capped bottle.
“Unscrew it first, Foo!” Ermes snatches the bottle and uncaps it for them. Foo just guzzles the water obediently. The girls share a look and sigh.
Getting Foo to blend in has been a tall order, what with them being so vastly different in personality from Atroe, the previous inmate whose appearance they took on. But Jolyne is grateful for the change, even if it comes in the form of loud noises and chaos. It’s good chaos. She still has her work cut out for her in her quest to help Jotaro’s recovery, but having Foo around, and being reunited with Ermes, it helps. Just knowing that she’s not alone.
She looks over to find Ermes and Foo entangled in a pretzel of a scuffle. Ermes has put Foo in a headlock, Jolyne’s water bottle lying empty on its side.
“Foo, I swear to motherfucking god, you gotta stop acting crazy!”
It takes a while to wrangle them back to their table but Jolyne manages, and the three of them sit down heavily, the benches creaking under their weight.
“I can’t believe you’re still so full of energy after all that,” Ermes shoots Foo a look.
“I hydrate constantly. You should try it.”
“Yeah, I think we and the rest of the Green Dolphin prison inmate population has noticed.”
Foo continues chugging water from their new bottle, and they sit in silence. It’s rare that they have a moment to themselves like this. The mess hall is usually a tense place to be, Jolyne eyes Gwess a few tables away. She gives them a little wave and a wink. Jolyne tries not to grimace in return.
“Hey Foo, why did you decide to come with us anyway? I mean, after the whole fight and all. Being this far from the swamp has to be uncomfortable for you.”
Jolyne turns to Foo, genuinely curious. Foo removes the bottle from their mouth with a satisfying pop and doesn’t take long to consider the question.
“It’s like I said back in the shed, I want to protect you.” Their green eyes are wide and earnest. They glance at Ermes, almost like an afterthought. “And you too, I suppose.”
Ermes grunts, but says nothing.
“But why?” Jolyne presses.
Foo shrugs.
“Do I have to have a reason? I felt like it.” Foo shakes the last few drops of water into their mouth before continuing. “You two are good people. You have a good bond. I’m… intrigued by it. It would be nice if I could experience that too.”
They smile at Jolyne. It’s a mild sort of smile, one that carries an air of wistful longing, for something perhaps perceived as just beyond reach.
“Ow!” Foo yelps, though for no real reason seeing as they don’t really have the same pain receptors as humans. Foo almost pauses to wonder why they did that. Perhaps it might have been an instinct? Humans are strange. Foo was starting to pick up habits from them without even noticing. “What was that punch for?”
“You’re being silly.” Ermes hadn’t hit that hard anyway. She grins. “You already have a bond, stupid.”
“Don’t call me stupid! That’s plankton-ist!”
“What she means,” Jolyne steps in, “is that you’re one of us now. We look out for each other.”
We’ve got to.
“Shame that we have to be in a maximum security prison, though.” Ermes makes an impatient clicking noise with her tongue, as if that might help her think of a way to break out.
“Well, there’s no place I’d rather be!” Without warning, Foo pulls the two girls into a bone-crushing hug.
“You’re crazy, Foo. I can think of a million other places I’d rather be.” Ermes’ words are harsh but the arm that returns the embrace is gentle and full of affection.
“I don’t care, as long as I’m with you guys!” Foo presses their cheeks together and for once, Jolyne doesn’t mind it. A warm feeling begins to blossom in her chest. Who would have thought that friendships could be forged even in a place as shitty as this? She had several crooks to thank for putting her in this hellhole, but to find friends like Ermes and Foo here? That was something they hadn’t accounted for.
“We’ll make it out of here.” Jolyne says the words like a truth rather than a promise. She needs them to be true. “I’ll make sure of it.”