The Cohen Clover
Angie Mae & Anin 1
copyright comidacomida 2020

Learning that Roller would finally be assigned at Station Zero was a big revelation for Angie Mae and the next several days passed in a blur.  The last time she'd seen her ex-partner was not a positive point in her life.  True, she had concluded her Tier 7 training and told she was transferring to Station Zero, but she and Roller had been separated.  It had taken her time to get used to having him as a partner, but, in the end, they became nearly inseparable-- 'nearly' being the operative word.

He had sacrificed his future to help her.  With nobody else around, it fell on his shoulders to protect her when she was at risk of being sexually assaulted and, despite knowing the rules regarding Phins harming Humans, Roller had raced to protect her from the fellow human student who had meant to force himself on her.  In return for his heroics, Roller had been dismissed from class on the night of their graduation.  If not for Dr. Cohen's influence she had no doubt Roller would have been completely expelled, but that hadn't happened, and he was reentering her life.

A year was a long time to be apart and, at not quite 13 months, they would have a lot of catching up to do.  Unfortunately, she realized, the new recruits were joining the station at a very chaotic time, and she had to figure out how to make sure she could have the time to give Roller the attention he deserved.  One thing she knew would help, thankfully, was that Roller was going to be joining the Special Projects division.  They would be working together!  She had to temper her joy by remembering that there were multiple departments within her division so, technically, there was a very real probability that they WOULDN'T be working together, but she was still happy to be optimistic.

That wasn't the only reason her week went so quickly.  In addition to cramming as much activity as she could into her day, the assignments she was given also included Anin.  Rather than see him for an occasional hour and a half on two or three time a week, he was partnered up with her formally and they spent upwards of ten hours together in the lab every day.  It was a rapid transition after they were both promoted but despite the suddenness of it they managed to be a good fit; the 'brief practice sessions of working together' over the course of the prior twelve months turned out to help immensely.

Angie Mae was a member of Special Projects, which means she had received specialized training when it came to the Ikali and her here-and-there teamwork exercises with Anin helped reinforce much of what she had learned.  It also helped, of course, that the Otter had gone through a version of the Unity Programme designed just for his kind to become familiar with Humans and Phins.  With a few ground rules established they were able to work together smoothly and thanks to Anin's capacity to learn concepts with incredible speed, she knew that most of it was due to his mental flexibility.

Her mind continued to wander over the numerous changes that had taken place since the announcement in The Parlor, enough that she hadn't realized she was staring at her partner until he spoke up. "Is everything alright, Angie Mae?"

It was, but she also knew there was no real way she could convey her thoughts to him without sounding conceited at best, or, at worst, an airhead.  "Yes... thanks.  I'm just thinking about tomorrow."

The Otter, as usual, was all smiles, and his tail folded itself loosely around his leg, giving himself a hug with it. "It is exciting to think that we will get new cohorts tomorrow!"

She paused at his choice of words (not to mention the body language).  "Cohorts?"

Anin cocked his head to the side.  "Is that not a good word?  Hmm.... Peers?  Compatriots? ....coworkers?"

Angie Mae had to hide her smile so as to remain professional. "I think 'coworkers' will work just fine."

The Otter was excitable, that much she understood.  He also had a habit of trying to use various words that were not always quite the right fit, but she didn't mind; it got her to think harder so she was happy enough to consider it an endearing trait.  His tail straightened back out as he shuffled over to another station and peered at the results from one of the numerous instruments on the counter. "And you know a lot of them already, right?"

Dr Cohen had been kind enough to provide her with the roster that morning; he had selected Angie Mae as the welcome coordinator for the Special Projects group, which meant she was aware who would be joining the team.  There were two new additions for them and three for Integrated Studies.  "I know three of them, yes, but only one of the two new students joining us."

Anin hopped in place happily.  "And 'three' is 'most'!"

She rolled her eyes at his antics, but couldn't keep from smiling.  "Right... anyway, Andy and Coaster are a Human and a Longos who were part of our Pod back at the Unity Centre.  They're going to be joining Integrated Studies with everyone else."

The Otter nodded, his lengthy whispers bobbing counterpoint to his head. "Yes!  Dr. Cohen said that they have two little ones!  That's clean!"

Angie Mae corrected Anin without a second thought.  "You mean 'neat'... not 'clean'... and, yes, Andy and Coaster both got one another pregnant so they each had one child-- Andy had a calf and Coaster gave birth to a baby."

Her partner piped in with the corrected word. "Neat!  But they are not going to join us here in Special Projects?"

She shook her head. "No.  We'll be getting two Longos."

Anin went right back to bouncing eagerly. "And one of them you know!"

Nodding calmly, Angie Mae managed to temper her expectations; it had been over a year since she had seen him.  "Yes.  Roller was my partner while we were at the Unity Programme."

The Otter calmed down significantly, moving back to stand next to her.  Due to many misconceptions and misunderstanding about physical interactions, Ikali weren't aloud to touch Humans or Phins without prior permission, but she didn't miss the way he set his paw next to her hand on the counter encouragingly. "If you want him back as a partner I understand, Angie Mae.  I'm sure Dr. Cohen would too."

Despite how much she was still learning about Ikali, the offer was one she knew of; the Otter people were very hands-off when it came to lengthy relationships and for most of them they held no hard feelings if one party decided that they'd had enough.  It was courteous in her mind for Anin to remind her that he wouldn't have hurt feelings.  In the short time she'd had with him, Angie Mae was well aware that he was kind, well-meaning, and earnestly trying hard to fit in with the Humans and Phins. 

Rather than respond verbally, she simply slid her hand over until it covered his paw and she gave it a gentle squeeze.  He acknowledged her with vibrating whiskers and a happy churl.  They returned to focusing on their work but she had to admit that Anin's words had meant a lot and she had much less trouble concentrating.

* * * * *

Friday arrived in the blink of any eye and Angie Mae was no closer to being ready to meet with the newcomers.  The incoming staff totaled more than a dozen but only five transfers were from the Unity Center and the Academy.  The remainder were Phins from elsewhere on Water Earth and they weren't really part of the Station Zero research plans so she wasn't as focused on them.  Still, the thought of being in touch with members of her pod after a year apart was a little intimidating.

Despite it being a Friday, work was postponed as the set-up teams went through the different offices to prepare for the new staff members.  She'd known about the extra free time but that didn't make dealing with it any easier.  Never one to spend much time fussing in front of a mirror, Angie Mae put on her work clothes before second-guessing herself and changing out to opt for something more casual; she chose one of the outfits she'd brought to the Unity Centre from home, pausing just long enough to remember that it was the same blouse and jeans she'd worn the day she met Walker.

In those few seconds of recollection, Angie Mae's focus became derailed.  In her not-quite-two decades of life, Angie Mae had never dealt directly with death.  She was fortunate in that both of her parents were still alive.  Her father's parents had both passed while she was an infant and her mother's mother was an only parent and still very much alive and in good health.  Angie Mae's aunts and uncles were all healthy and she'd never kept pets; the animals on her property were all working beasts so there was no real emotional attachment.  Things had been different, and when Walker had died it had an affect.

She remembered how full of expression he always was; despite the relatively unchanging face of a Phin, Walker still wore his emotions on his sleeve and she could tell with nothing more than a glance just what he was thinking.  They had grown close, and she often thought of him as her younger brother; chronologically he was, but he always reminded her that Phins developed faster than humans so biologically he was older.  It had been an ongoing friendly argument they both picked at, but he was no longer alive.

Angie Mae missed Walker greatly.  There were moments when she was alone that she'd wonder what could have happened in her life if he hadn't been killed in combat back what felt like a lifetime ago but, she always reminded herself, she wasn't graced with omniscience and so she would never get an answer.  It didn't stop her brain from continuing to wonder, however, and the thoughts never fully left her.  Roller, however, had ultimately helped her come back from the dark place in which losing Walker had left her.

Roller was many things that Walker was, but her second partner had also been very different.  Both were intelligent and both of the had become like family to her.  Walker, however, was quiet and reserved; Roller, on the other hand, spoke his mind and didn't beat around the bush.  His forwardness, in fact, was likely what had saved her from being raped and caused him to end up being delayed in joining the rest of their pod at Station Zero.  Fortunately, despite breaking some very critical rules, Roller was finally going to with them again.

Those thoughts and more filled he brain to overflowing as she stepped out of her room and stood in the hallway.  Checking her watch, she saw that the skiff would be arriving in just over an hour.  Angie Mae continued staring at her watch as if her brain hadn't figured out how to follow up the action when she was snapped out of her constantly-repeating thoughts by a friendly bark of "Hey!"

She glanced down the hall to where Anin was jogging to join her.  The Ikali wasn't completely awkward on two legs but the shuffling gait his kind used did make speed awkward.  As Angie MAe watched, Anin switched over to the preferred method for fast land movement; he lowered himself down to all fours and scampered closer.  When using his front paws to assist in speed, Ikali didn't so much as bobble as slither, their bodies creating a slight arc in either direction alternating with their tail curving in the opposite direction.  As he neared, she raised a hand in greeting, offering an Ikali hail in return. "Aiy."

Anin's whiskers quirked upward as he smiled, returning to standing on his hind legs.  The Ikali unzipped the front pocket of his wetsuit and pulled out a small squeeze bottle.  Applying gel from it to one palm, he returned it to its storage place before spreading out the disinfectant on both paws.  Dr. Cohen had very strict rules about Ikali moving around on all fours and, just like any good junior researcher, Anin was very good about following the purpose behind the directions even when he didn't follow the instructions themselves.

Angie Mae turned to make her way down the hall and the Otter quickly double-stepped to move along beside her.  "Did you know Ikali only eat hotdogs with mustard?"

Shooting a glance to her partner, she caught sight of the way his whiskers were bunched up on either side of his face; it was the Ikali equivalent to a wink.  She'd grown used to that look on him and she knew it meant only one possible thing: wordplay.  She gave him what he wanted when she asked "Why's that?"

Anin double-stepped again to make sure he was still in-stride with the Human. "We don't 'ketchup' easily."

She offered a polite smile, but she sidestepped the humor with a more pertinent question. "HAVE you eaten a hotdog before?"

He gave his head a quick shake, replying to the negative in the Ikali language. "Nuk."

She followed it up with a more technical question. "CAN you eat hotdogs?"

Without missing a step, Anin nodded his head several times. "Yes.  I think all of us can.  It's White Food, right?"

Originally, when Water Earth and Land Earth were the only versions of reality known, cohabitation was difficult enough.  In order to track what foods were safe for each race to eat they were divided into three categories: blue, yellow, and green.  Blue food was safe for Phins to eat but not for Humans; Yellow foods could be eaten by Humans but were not safe for Phins; Green food could be safely eaten by either race. 

With the addition of Ikali, the food scale added Red, Purple, Orange, and White.  Red food could only be safely eaten by the Otter folks, while Purple was safe for Ikali and Phins.  Ikali and Humans could eat Orange food and any of the races could eat White food.  Any food stored where different races could access it had to be color coded and menus at restaurants were likewise identified by being written in their respective color, or marked with a colored sticker.  Anin's statement didn't instill her with much confidence. "We can always check next time we're at The Parlor; they serve hotdogs."

He quick-stepped to keep pace with her before noting "Oh!  Maybe we can share one today at lunch time.  Are hotdogs good to share?"

She couldn't help but smirk. "Maybe... not everyone would agree, I'm sure because there are plenty of Humans who could eat three or even for in one sitting."

Anin came to a complete halt. "Really?  Well... I could eat three Kurkn, but if there was someone else around I'd still be okay sharing if I only had one."

Kurkn, Angie Mae knew, were a kind of salmon found on Riparian Earth.  Whether they were similar to, (or possibly identical versions of) Land Earth's Pink Salmon, she didn't know, but the thought of Anin, who was barely five foot tall and probably barely over 100 pounds eating somewhere around 12 pounds of fish seemed a little far-fetched.  Still, she chose not to call him on it.  "Well, if we find out that hot dogs are Orange or White then yes, we can certainly share one."

He churled happily. "Good.  Then I'll order a Kurkn, and we can share that too.  I KNOW Kurkn is White food."

The statement made Angie Mae laugh. "But I've had it before, Anin."

The Otter churled again, whiskers vibrating happily. "But if you're sharing I should share too.  That's only fair."

She remembered that Ikali were very transactional.  Smiling impishly she offered a casual shrug. "No, that's alright... you can just owe me."

He shot her a mock-withering voice; Anin was good at telling when people were giving him some friendly grief. "You'll take some of my Kurkn and you'll like it and tell me how good it is and how you want to trade the rest of your hot dog for it."

Her smile widened.  "Yeah... we'll see who wants what from whom after you've tried the hot dog."

The Otter once again did a double-shuffle of his feet to catch up (despite Angie Mae having slowed down for him by that point).  "With mustard AND ketchup?"

She couldn't hide her disgust as she made a face.  "Not where I'm from, no.  Ketchup doesn't belong on a hot dog."

That pulled her into a food-based sociological discussion with the excitable Ikali that spanned an hour.  In addition to his people not doing much in the way of advanced cuisine, their food did not differ much from one region to another aside from what was or was not available.  While she wasn't exactly a foodie, she realized that he had a lot of learning to do if he wanted to understand the way Humans combined foods and condiments.  If nothing else, it definitely helped the time pass quickly and, before she knew it, a declaration  played over the announcement system declaring the arrival of a skiff in port.

Angie Mae and Anin had long-since arrived at The Parlor and were waiting for one hotdog and one Kurkn (or comparable Water Earth fish) to be served up when the announcement was made.  The Otter danced from one foot to the other, his tail brushing across the ground excitedly in alternating directions as it did something akin to wagging while keeping him balanced. "They are here!  Are you going to go out to meet them?"

Accepting the tray with both of their orders on it, she calmly walked over to the drink area so she could fill her glass with water.  "No.  Dr. Cohen said that Civil Loader would direct them all here.  What would you like to drink?"

Anin could have reached the soft drink dispensers if he stood on his tip toes but she'd long-since learned that Ikali didn't have a problem with getting help regarding their size due to them being smaller than Humans or Phins.  His tail slowed as he peered at the options. "What has caffeine?

Angie Mae pointed to the two cola options and then to the iced tea.  "Regular and diet pop... or you can have tea."

The Otter barked out in eagerness "All of em!"

Although she had a feeling where the choice was going, she still pointed out "You only have one glass, Anin."

He didn't miss a beat, whiskers perking in a happy smile. "That's okay!  Just mix them together please!"

She was just finishing his request when movement within The Parlor caught her attention and, setting Anin's full glass onto the tray she turned around to regard another pair who had entered.  Max smiled, offering a friendly wave as he took a seat at one of the tables.  Beside him, Carvar mimicked the action, adding "Hello, Angie Mae."

Anin moved around her back as she approached the table.  Once she took a seat he slid under the bench so he could approach it from beneath the table, climbing up onto it so he could sit beside her.  Since she was directly across the table from Max and Carver was closer to the end, the Otter had apparently chosen that spot so he could be close to her, and furthest possible from the two strangers.  She slid the tray over so that it could be in front of the Otter.  "Hi.  You two remember Anin, right?"

Max offered a polite waive to the Ikali, who responded with a quick, shy smile, whiskers drooping slightly before he picked up the hot dog in front of him and stuffed one end into his muzzle.  The Otter's entire body froze mid-bite, completely lost in the otherworldly reverie of what Angie Mae recognized as a 'new experience' pause.  The first part of him to break out of it was his whiskers, which immediately perked.  A moment later he started chewing, the motion accompanied by a very emphatic "Mmmmm!"

Across from Angie Mae, her Human Podmate laughed.  Max grinned her way before looking back to the Otter. "Yeah... first hot dog, hmm?"

Still chewing, Anin nodded vigorously.  He didn't bother swallowing, but chewed a few more times for good measure before speaking with his muzzle full "Mmm!  Iff goov!"

Max leaned back in his seat. "I know what you mean... I really like them with ketchup and mustard and reli--"

Angie Mae offered her own viewpoint. "Ketchup does NOT belong on hot dogs."

Anin, who finally swallowed his first bite, eyed the hot dog for another moment before looking up.  He surprised Angie Mae when he turned to Max. "Yeah... Ikali don't eat it on our hot dogs either."

The statement obviously caught Max by surprise.  Angie Mae's fellow Human peer glanced her way.  Rather than ruin the punch line, she gestured with her eyes toward the Otter before stating "Well?  Ask him why not."

Max blinked blankly. "Okay... Anin, why don't Ikali eat ketchup on hot dogs?"

Anin's whiskers perked up even more as he smiled wide.  "We don't 'ketchup' easily!"

It wasn't that funny when Angie Mae heard it the first time but she still managed to smile.  Max, on the other hand, cracked up.  There had always been a certain easygoing nature to how she'd seen him interact with others.  Despite being reserved, Max was always good at helping others feel at ease around him, and it certainly showed, especially when Anin hopped off the bench, scuttled under the table, and hopped onto the one next to Max.  Without even a pause, the Otter looked up at him and asked "Can I touch you?"

He responded by looking across the table right at Angie Mae. "Huh?  Can he... what?"

She explained. "Ikali are very tactile, Max... their whole society is based on touch.  When they get the training requirements to be around Humans and Phins they have to learn what's considered okay and what isn't.  The Programme requires that they always ask before they can touch anyone new."

Anin stood up on the bench, which meant that he was looking down at Max. "Yes-- and I want to give you a hug and say hello, Mr. Max."

When the young man's questioning gaze came back to her she gestured that the ball was in his court, silently whispering. "Well?"

Max shrugged, and awkwardly held his arms out. "Uh... okay?"

Releasing a pleased churl, Anin bodily climbed across the Human, wrapping his flexible body around him enough that the Ikali had his head on Max's left shoulder from almost behind him while his feet were on the bench to the right of the Human's hips.  He buried his whiskered muzzle into Max's neck for a moment before pulling back and settling himself into the young man's lap.  "Angie Mae says you're a really good friend of hers, so that means we should be friends too."

It was obvious that Max didn't know exactly how to respond, but he didn't need to.  The door at the far end of The Parlor opened and Angel made a grand entrance. "Well well well!  Looks like someone's getting himself some half-pint lovin'!"

Seraph followed after him, Cherub tucked neatly in the crook of one arm, other equipped with a diaper bag.  Even so loaded, the Longos still managed to lean forward and give his husband a light bump with his beak in the back of his head. "Be nice."

Angel turned around and smacked him lightly on the forearm. "I'm ALWAYS nice... you know that.  I just think it's 'muy lindo' how well he's getting along with the furry little tourist."

The Longos once again put things in perspective.  "Tourist?  He's been here longer than we have, I believe."

Approaching the table, Angel chose a spot on the bench right next to Angie Mae.  Anin remained in Max's lap, but he reached across the table to snag the food tray before going to town on the hot dog again; despite his small size, he easily finished off his half of it with his second bite.  Seraph joined Angel, sitting on the opposite side of him from Angie Mae.  The Longos set the diaper bag on the floor beside himself. They won't let us near the docks.  "I guess we're waiting here for everyone to disembark?"

Angie Mae nodded. "Yes.  Dr. Cohen said that Andy, Coaster, Roller, and one more recruit will be meeting us in here.

Hunter, who had just entered through the far door called out. "Right!  I just saw everyone outside!"

Greg, following along right beside the Album elaborated. "There are a few Tikk with them right now, but Civil Loader said they'd make their way over here soon."

Hunter sat down to the left of Angie Mae and Greg sat down to his left.  The Album glanced around the table.  "Andy and Coaster are joining us in Integrated Studies.  We'll practically have the whole Pod back together again."

Greg was smiling ear to ear. "They have their kids with them too.  Looks like they're getting apartments just like we have."

His Album partner let out a dejected trill-click. "Hopefully larger... our apartment is really small and they'll need more room for their calf and baby."

Angie Mae was so lost in the conversation that it took her a moment to see that Anin had withdrawn again, practically hiding behind his food as he picked silently at the fish.  Once they locked eyes she gave a quick gesture, inviting him back over to her side of the table; she was only half-surprised when he elected to stay where he was considering it was much less crowded on Max's side.

She'd missed some of the conversation focusing on her Ikali partner, but her attention was snapped back to the group the moment Carver called out, pointing with his beak. "And it looks like they finally made it."

Turning to look in the direction the Amplus indicated, she saw that the newcomers had indeed arrived.  Andy and Coaster were in the front, each holding a little one; Andy had a pale-looking baby while Coaster held a squirming, squeaking bundle of Longos joy.  Her gaze didn't do much more than gloss over them since the Phin following right after was the one she'd really been waiting to see.  Standing up, she turned to face Roller. 

To his credit, he managed to pace himself as he ran to the table, dropping his luggage to wrap his arms around her.  She found herself crying, but she didn't mind.  She somehow managed to fight through her emotions to provide him a formal greeting since she knew she couldn't trust herself with an emotional one. "Welcome to Station Zero."

He responded by lightly flicking at her shoulder-length hair with the end of his beak as he replied with "It is good to be home."