ph_logs | 1st Build

Who: Rex Salazar (

rexthebuilder) & YOU
What: Rex asks people opinions on snowball fights, doesn't know how shopping works to save his life, and then manages to temporarily get crud in his eyes by trying to be cool while no one's even looking.
When: Early December
Where: In Town
Warning(s): Mildest of eye squicks in the third option (spoilered away)

1. Survey Says.... [OTA]
Rex is carrying around a notebook and pencil given to him from his brother, looking around the crowd in the town square for someone that looks like they might have a good opinion. César gave him an important assignment. It'll be a long time before Rex figures out César gave it to him as an icebreaker to meet and socialize with other people patient enough to give a teenager their time.

Eventually, he gathers up his courage and walks up to a random person with an enthusiastic smile. "Heyyy, what sort of forts and stuff would make the most epic snow battle ever?"

2. Shopping Montage! [OTA]
Rex has his hands in his new winter coat his brother bought him to feel the 100 Brass he's carrying again and again, a wide grin on his face as he walks around window shopping outside. César suggested he go and get himself somethings with the half of his first paycheck that isn't going to food. And as he goes around and starts walking back and forth, realizes he has no idea what to spend it on, and his enthusiasm wanes somewhat with absolute bewilderment and confusion.

"... what sort stuff can I even buy here that isn't boring?"

3. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a... teenager? [OTA, CW: Immediately healing eye abrasion]

Click to reveal

Rex figured that flying with his Sky Slider without goggles would be fine because the cold killed all the bugs. Today, he learns learns chimney ash can be just as bad when he decides to fly through it in order to be cool and it immediately backfires.

"Augh, no, my eyes!" Rex covers his eyes with a hand as he hovers down onto the street and returns his legs back to normal, waving with his free hand. "Uhm?! Anyone there! Need help for a minute!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Rex?!"

Tarantulas grins widely, showing an unsettling number of teeth. He hugs the boy around the middle, with both arms and four of his extra legs. "Yes, I see it now! Oh, really I should've seen it before -- your brother's a good friend of mine! A very good friend! How long have you been here, my boy?"

Oh, dang, those are an impressive amount of teeth. That's actually kinda sick. OOOP

Rex FLAILS for a split second as the hug happens but then suddenly holds extremely still, worried he might break a couple of those legs if he struggles away. "How does César know this many people...? Uhhh, a little over a week? I asked César to let me be incognito instead of him introducing me to everyone. Sorta ease into this place and all."

The hug only lasts for a few seconds before Tarantulas lets him go, leaning back a little to study him again. "Yes of course, of course! Of course an empiricist like César would want you to form your own impressions. Though he really should have got you a pair of goggles before now, if you're going to go flying close to the ground like that...Oh, but where are my manners?"

He grins again. "I am Tarantulas. How pleasing it is to meet you at last."

"No, I wanted—" To meet people himself, but adding 'because I wanted to be seen as myself not my brother's brother' is kind of a jerk thing to say. "My goggles are supposed to be ready tomorrow."

Blink blink, Rex's eyes aren't even red, already healed. "Uh, nice to meet you, too. Can I get a towel?" His face is all wet. "Are you one of his scientist friends?"

Rex asks because he wants to know his brother still does scientist stuff. Because César doing magic and farming is sure throwing him for a loop.

"I am!" Tarantulas enthuses, reaching into his bag again to search for a clean rag or a spare shirt. "Like César I happen to be an engineer, though my interests and goals are rather more humble these days than they once were. A side effect of living in this town, I think. Despite the danger we all so frequently face, the temptation to slow down and think of life's simpler pleasures is undeniable. You and your brother should come have dinner at my house sometime. You can meet my daughter."

He finally finds a cloth that hasn't yet been stained with dust or oil and offers to Rex, smiling eagerly.

Rex takes the cloth and dries his face with it. Having the rest of his body dry with his face wet is so weird feeling, ugh. And it gives him a moment to refocus, because the man talks in a very eager way that is... different than other adults he's been around. Not bad, just different.

"Huh, I guess César's an engineer, too." Rex straightens and offers the towel back. "Uh, thanks. And yeah, I've seen that with my bro'. He's slowed down a lot, acting all domestic and stuff with Magne. Said he needed time to just be himself again after everything back home. Your daughter?"

"She's nine months old!" Tarantulas eagerly explains. "Her name is Dawn, and she inherited my fur patterns and eyes. She started walking a month and a half ago and she can reliably respond to over seventy nouns and basic directional phrases! I'm very proud of her," he adds, redundantly.

"Woah, she's a baby." Rex is still offering the towel back, eyes widening a bit. "And smart, too! Wow. I bet she's fuzzy and cute."

Oh right, the towel. Tarantulas takes it back, passing it up to one of his extra legs with smoothly stuffs it into the backpack. "Yes, exactly!" he says eagerly, without missing a beat. "She's an adorable little baby. Fuzzy like me, but blue instead of purple. You really must come see her -- you'll tell César, won't you? About my invitation?"

... dang, that was pretty slick.

"I'll probably expire from the cute." Rex grins. "Yeah, yeah, I'll tell him." There's a 90% probability he forgets until randomly he remembers later. "Is her mom in the picture?"

Funny thing, Rex.

"Technically, I am her mother," Tarantulas explains with a small smirk. "I'm an alien being, after all; you surely can't expect me to conform to human gender or reproductive roles. But no, her other parent isn't around. It's best for everyone if he stays far away." Because after how rude he was the last time, if he turns up again Tarantulas might just rip his head off and eat it.

Rex just blinks, and blinks, and blinks. This is a bit to process. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Tarantulas must be trans! Or his species is multiple things at once. Okay. Yeah. That makes way more sense than the fanfic mpreg that came to his brain to start.

With an enthusiastic nod as the lightbulb goes off in his head, Rex lets the conversation sail on. "I guess the important part is that she's here right now, happy, and healthy." Rex makes a slight face. "... Man, where did I hear that before? Geez, I sounded like an adult for like five whole seconds."

Gross! And kinda metal. Dude probably deserves it.

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cw: pregnancy adjacent