( WITH MY DARLING : JOININGish? )

[B. DELORIA]

[align=center][div style="width: 500px; text-align: justify; font-size: 9.4pt; line-height: 1.4;"]Monotony. Yeah, Butch knew about that. The days all bled together when he was supposed to spend them at the beck and call of everyone who was above him, lugging around shit they couldn't be bothered to carry and trying not to pass out under the harsh sun. He was more convinced now that...well, he wouldn't be happy if he was left here to rot in his collar, but it'd be worse if Val were in the same position. Val was too smart to spend his time playing pack-horse. Sure, Butch was too pretty for it, but Butch didn't have a dad out there he had to find- Val did, and his dad was worth finding, because as much of an egg-head as he was, he was also a good guy. Butch had been awfully envious of that as a kid in the vault, James so even-tempered and supportive of a brat, whereas he'd go back to his room to find his mother either too drunk or too sober to speak with for long. Seemed so stupid looking back, didn't it? Hating the kid for having a dad. Wasn't like he could hate his own dad, though, seeing as he'd never met him. Val was convenient, though not exactly easy.

He was always feisty, didn't hesitate to throw himself in. Butch had a few small scars on his ears from those encounters, and even when they struck out into the world unknown, Val still gave the things sharp tugs whenever Butch was being a dunce.

It'd been a while since someone had been that kind.

Exhaling, the collie pushed on through the heat. He wasn't gonna roll over for the sun, and he knew if he did, somebody'd pounce on him before long, so there wasn't much of an option. At least he was temporarily left to man his own wheel, with no asses to kiss or random knick knacks needing lugged. Damn, but it was hot, and he was convinced he was gonna flip his lid- or maybe he'd already had, because he could've sworn he just heard Val's voice. Wasn't that a desert thing? Playing tricks? It beat Butch, and he'd ask Val, but obviously, Val wasn't here. Maybe.

He was less convinced when he saw him. His heart did funny, acrobatic flips in his chest, like it belonged in the circus, and it felt like he'd just sprinted several marathons because breathing was stupidly difficult. The collie stayed where he was for a second, just trying to get his lungs to work again, before he really did start running, throwing all cares to the desert breeze. He was genuinely surprised when he collided with a solid shape, instead of face-planting in the sand.

"Val! You're here! I've got so many questions I've been waitin' to ask- like sand! What's sand? Oh, can I take a dip in poisoned water? I missed you like crazy, man, you-" Butch cut himself off abruptly, eyes darkening, and he swallowed through his dry mouth, backing off of Val. "You gotta leave, Val. Right now. Beat it. Scram. Haul ass. This place is a shit-hole. It's Nowheresville, and you need to find your old man."