Some Things Just Can't Be Understood

"Its not that..." Pheobie mumbled.

Maple was finally noticing her odd quietness. "Don't worry about the ship. It's been through worse. Much worse."

"Its not that. I know you're not mad" Pheobie murmured. She kept her face down. "Its just... There's so many people here. And they all know you..."

"And all too well," said Bob. "We've seen him walking around with a green towel wrapped around his head while wearing bunny slippers."

Normally Maple wouldn't have cared, but in front of Pheobie he felt embarrassed. "It was comfy."

Pheobie blushed slightly.

Maple glanced at Pheobie and felt even more shamed. "Tell you what, you find my bunny slippers while we sit outside for a minute, hmm?"

"No bunny slippers to find. The glitch Bulbasaur ate them."

"What?" Maple explained. "Ah, I knew I should have cloned them!"

Pheobie giggled a little, but she still didn't look up.

"Anyway, you pups go...have a ping-pong tournament or something," said Maple, turning to go outside with Pheobie. "We'll be with you in a moment."

Upon reaching the outside, he turned to Pheobie. "You alright?"

Pheobie blushed and nodded, still avoiding eye contact.

"You sure?" Maple asked. "You're awfully quiet all of a sudden."

"I'm just not used to being around so many people" Pheobie admitted, finally looking up at him with big, wide eyes. "And they're all so nice and like my color weirdness"

"You did fine with the crowds at the zoo," said Maple. "But I guess I can understand the color thing, since...anyway, like Bob said, everyone's a weirdo. We've got everything from guys who can burp the ABCs to circus performers who swallow fire to people who can lift things with their minds. They're used to weirdness."

"But the people at the zoo were strangers" Pheobie murmured. "They didn't know me. All these people know you"

"Well considering some of the looks those zoo people-" Maple began, but decided to sock it. "Well I find it more comfortable to be around friends than random strangers. But maybe that's just me."

"The people at the zoo didn't know I was different" Pheobie mumbled. "But these people do. I'm not used to so many people being nice to me"

"Ah, I see," Maple replied, leaning against the sign near the building. Its letters were mostly faded. "...Yeah, I suppose that could take some getting used to. I've made quite a few friends over time, but not all at once." He tried to imagine himself in a similar situation, and suspected he would be suspicious more than overjoyed.

"Back home, everyone avoided me or was really mean. Even if I never met them..." Pheobie looked sad.

"Your color ability was that infamous, huh?" Maple answered. It still made him mad thinking about it. He had quite a few enemies, especially at work, but that was somewhat understandable. He could be downright annoying and spiteful when he felt like it, though lately he hadn't felt that way. "But why be afraid of color-changing? Were those people so worried about things not matching? I still don't get it."

"I don't know" Pheobie mumbled.

"Well I guess it will be one of life's great mysteries then," Maple replied, trying to be cheerful. He didn't mean to bring her down again. "Along with what Stonehedge is built for and why 2+2 does not equal 3."

Pheobie gave a small giggle. "Maple, you're silly" She smiled up at him. "Lean over and let me fix your hair."

"Okay," Maple replied, bending down so Pheobie could touch his hair easier. He considered prancing around his his neon-green hair just to see how people how react, but that probably wasn't a good idea. He had plenty of enemies around here too.

Pheobie ran her hand through his hair with another little giggle, changing it back to its original color. "There. Back to normal"

"As normal as it will ever be, anyway," Maple remarked with amusement, running his hands through his hair. "I don't think there's one part of me that is normal."

"That's okay" Pheobie grinned. "I like you this way"