The Maryland Zoo, Baltimore, Saturday

[uncertain_dume]

After a conversation with Rey yesterday about how much longer before she had to head back to Jakku, Kanan had offered to show her a bit more of what was out there in the galaxy. They had about a month, after all, and it would be a month wasted if she didn't take advantage of the fact that portals and starships could get them to practically any kind of world she'd ever dreamed of seeing.

The fact that they'd wound up in Baltimore was kind of hilarious, then. She'd wanted to see a city, and there happened to be one right across the Causeway that she still hadn't been to. From there it had been a matter of figuring out something to do, and the zoo had seemed amenable, so... here they were, after a walk to catch a cab, because 'the zoo' was not exactly the ultimate city experience and Kanan figured that at the very least, they could stand to take in some scenery.

Buildings, people, traffic, litter... City life.

After the cab pulled in at the zoo and Kanan settled up with the driver, he nodded toward the front gate, feeling weirdly naked standing there without armor on his shoulder or a blaster at his hip. He did have his lightsaber, though, stashed in a bag over his shoulder along with a few extra bottles of water and his phone.

"Welcome to the closest thing to wilderness you can find in a big city," Kanan said, managing to not make a comment about how every city on the planet was actually kind of cute when your entire homeworld happened to be one. "Watch out for kids, we'll probably be tripping over them all day."

[OOC: For Rey!]

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

"At least here he has people who take care of him without nearly being eaten."

She paused.

"...I hope, anyway."

[uncertain_dume]

"If zoos back home can figure out how to feed reeks and acklays, I'm sure this one can handle a bear," Kanan mused. "Unless they underestimate him because he's got such a cute dopey face, I guess."

Compared to the wildlife from home, pretty much every Earth predator had a pretty dopey face.

[thatwaslucky]

"He does look too adorable to maul anyone here," Rey admitted. "I mean, they give him toys to play with."

[uncertain_dume]

"I've never seen an acklay play with a ball," Kanan agreed with a grin. "I know it's probably getting old whenever I call this world cute, but it really kind of is."

The apex predators here were adorable.

[thatwaslucky]

"It is, though. I don't think they appreciate hearing that, but it doesn't make it less true," Rey said.

[uncertain_dume]

"Just wait until you meet the penguins," Kanan added, smirking. "They don't spit venom or anything."

Poor Earth.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey grinned. "I'm going to say I'm glad for that, since I'll be feeding one, and venom wasn't in my plans for the day."

[uncertain_dume]

"If it was at all dangerous, I would've arranged for you to feed the bears instead," Kanan teased. "Look at this guy."

Kanan had literally thrown down against enraged polar bears in Azeroth when he'd first arrived on the island. He knew exactly the kind of poodoo that was coming out of his mouth right then.

But still, how was it possible to not want to smush that bear's cheeks?

[thatwaslucky]

"I'm sure it doesn't matter at all that he's what, three times my size?" Rey asked.

[uncertain_dume]

"Nah, he's totally a big pushover," Kanan decided, smirking in that 'I am completely full of shit and I know it,' way of his. "Who ever heard of bears being dangerous?"

Everyone. Everyone had.

[thatwaslucky]

"You see, this is why I wanted to meet the one in the freezer during the scavenger hunt," she said. "Totally harmless."

[uncertain_dume]

"Totally," Kanan agreed with a laugh. "Did you ever get to meet our freezer bear, anyway?"

[thatwaslucky]

"Didn't hey around to it I think," she said. "Still have a few weeks."

[uncertain_dume]

"True," Kanan allowed. "So if you still have a mind to after spending a day here, feel free to swing by for one of my Sunday shifts. We'll see if he's hanging out anywhere near the freezer door or not."

He was willing to take a peek, but wasn't quite about to commit to an actual expedition in there just yet.

[thatwaslucky]

"And if he's not?" Because if Rey would jump into a dark side cave more or less on a whim, she'd absolutely go into a freezer.

[uncertain_dume]

"Well, there's a trolley that'll take people farther in," Kanan said, a touch dubiously, "but it's colder than the poles of Polus in there. You'll want to at least bundle up, first."

... They did keep winter gear by the freezer for that reason, granted.

[thatwaslucky]

Rey stared at him. "What is going on at that diner?"

[uncertain_dume]

"Honestly, Rey, if I knew, I'd tell you." He shrugged. "It's Fandom. The freezer might be a pocket dimension of some sort. I don't know for sure. I just go in there long enough to dig out the berries sometimes."

[thatwaslucky]

"A freezing pocket dimension that needs a trolley," she said.

[uncertain_dume]

"I have yet to figure out where the back is," Kanan agreed.

Because Luke's.

[thatwaslucky]

"Your work is weird, Kanan."

Like he didn't know.

[uncertain_dume]

"My work is weird," Kanan agreed. And then glanced over to see a small crowd forming not far off. "Looks like the penguin feeding is about to start. Shall we?"

[thatwaslucky]

"We shall," she said, stepping away from the polar bear. "You don't have any penguins in a freezer, right?"

That would earn a weird look from someone passing by.

[uncertain_dume]

That was fine. Kanan was going to just give the passer-by a weird look right back before replying.

"Fresh out of freezer-penguins, as far as I can tell. There is a big thing with tentacles in there. I still haven't figured out what's up with that guy."

[thatwaslucky]

Rey frowned. "Are you being serious?"

Sometimes she had to check.