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Swamp Net dreaded going to school. It wasn't that he disliked being with other babbies or the things they did like learning and playing. He didn't really dislike school itself. But there was always that need his momma Sea Whip insisted on that he had to be clean and presentable whenever he went to school. And he had to stay clean and presentable until the end of the day.

Something his siblings had little to no trouble with. Unlike him. Especially when it was recess and there was a particularly inviting spread of dirt just begging to be dug around in. He looked longingly at it and sighed perhaps a little over-dramatically too.

Sometimes, temptation was just too great for the earth colt and while he tried his dang best to steer clear of the dirt and mud and the patches that just begged out to him to explore and root through, well, Swamp Net couldn't help himself.

He decided, for the sake of keeping his siblings out of trouble, he closed his eyes and started walking away. Err, stumbling away was more appropriate and he ended up stumbling over something. Swamp went tip over tail, the exaggeration of his movements compounded by his natural flair for the dramatics and the demands of the narrative. He landed unceremoniously in the sandbox with grit and sand fountaining up where he fell.

"Oops! Sorry!" he squeaked with a mouthful of sand.

The green colt rolled onto his feet and shook himself free of any sand, which may or may not have ended up spraying the other phony. Red eyes scanned his surrounding in search of the other voice, because he was sure he heard another voice and then he decided to look down.

He immediately brightened, embarrassment over falling so spectacularly never even a suggestion to him. He leaned in close, practically pressing his snout against the other colt, their surroundings forgotten in favor of staring intently at someone he hoped would be a kindred spirit. "Oh wow, that's a pretty deep hole you dug! How fast were you in digging it? Didja use anything but your hooves? Were you looking for treasure or-" he glanced around, his voice dropping to a whisper, "Or were you hiding some treasure?"

Swamp seemed more than happy for the opportunity to look at the hole. He'd dug quite a few of his own in fact, which was probably why he gave a perky chirp of "Sure!" when the other babben made room for him. The colt practically dove in and landed in a little heap of limbs before righting himself.

"Whaddya mean this hole's got no treasures?" His ear flicked sand off as he stared at Peanut, "We're in it, ain't we?" he grinned. "Pretty nice depth you got here, too! I'm Swamp Net but you can call me Muck! What's your name? Or should I call you Treasure Number Two?" Because Swamp's claimed Treasure Number One for himself already.

Swamp Net mulled over the other colt's words, "Why's calling me Muck mean?" he asked in genuine confusion as he climbed out of the hole with more care than when he went in. "I like muck. It's squishy and fun and hides all sorts'v treasures!" he reasoned with glee. "Tell you what, I'll call you Treasure Number One if you call me Muck. How's about that?"

He sat down on his haunches, smiling at the other babben as he patiently waited for his answer.

Swamp was trying, he really, really was, but he couldn't quite grasp what was so awful about muck. Or being a swamp monster. Then again, he remembered how his family wasn't too keen on the things he brought back during one of his dredging escapades. At least not until Tidy helped clean them up. So maybe this other babben thought more like his family?

"Muck's not always brown, sometimes it's green. Like me!" he grinned, turning in place as if his coat wasn't visible enough. "And being a swamp monster would be cool! I get to be mucky all the time and I wouldn't have to take baths!" He sounded like he was joking, maybe Swamp was though whether it was being a swamp monster or not taking baths was up to interpretation.

He kept quiet when Peanut gave his real name, paying special attention because proper introductions were important. Swamp practically lit up at the permission to call the other colt by a nickname. "I'll totally call you Peanut, then! Iffin' you really don't wanna call me Muck, Net'll do."

Swamp Net's mouth fell open upon hearing the other bab didn't like baths. A kindred spirit! He'd finally found one! He had never ever expected to find another phony who would prefer not to bathe. "Not if I can help it! I hide real good from Mama and Momma. Usually." A beat. "Sometimes. But I dig holes so I can hide in 'em and and and when they find me, I find somewhere else to dig and then hide there next time."

He watched Peanut sink back into the pit he'd dug in the sandbox and trotted around to position himself to block sight of the other bab. Swamp Net didn't know exactly who or what Peanut was hiding from, but the green earth colt decided he'd do what he can to help hide them. "Hey, hey, can I, like, build a sand wall around your pit? Like, like, make a fortress?"

Net looked taken aback when Peanut said he didn't have a momma. Part of him didn't know if he felt jealous that the other babben didn't have anyone nagging at him to take a bath. But another part of him felt sad that the other babben didn't have anyone checking up on him and making sure he was okay.

"Weeeeell I guess that does mean you don't gotta take baths. But do you got someone that takes care of you? When you're not in school?" he asked with concern and wondered if that was why Peanut was hiding. But rather than ask that outright, Net ended up answering "A fortress's like a castle but way awesomer and cooler. 'Cuz it's like, a special place of your own and in there you get to be whoever and whatever you wanna be!"