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Sid found walking along the beach helped to get his mind off things. The souind of the waves was a pleasant kind of white noise that enabled him to just walk and forget about all the recent unpleasantness. Just to be certain, he'd snagged a bottle of rum from the bar. If the sound of the waves didn't do it, the rum would.

As he walked through the surf Sid paid no mind that the water was soaking his pant legs, making it that much harder to walk. He kept his sandals on, if only because between the cane and the bottle his hands were full. Every time the water rolled back from his feet, he took a drink. He was almost able to fool himself for the moment that life was good.

With his head down and the sound of the waves in his ears, Sid was completely unaware of the fact he was no longer alone. His focus was limited to the wet sand directly before his feet. Hell, he didn't want to think about the future, so why bother with anything so much as six feet ahead? In any case, even with sandals on, he was afraid of what he might tread on if he didn't pay attention.

Another wave in its death throes on the sand prompted another drink. Death throes on the sand... he made a mental note to try and remember that for future stories. Imagery like that was golden. Then again, maybe dying gasp on the sand was better. He reached up with the hand wrapped around the bottle and scratched his temple. He hadn't put much of a dent on the bottle yet, all thanks to the tiny sips, and he was proud of that. Then again, using the ocean for drinking games could only have one result. He was getting there, but slowly.

The sneeze he could have written off as something he'd stepped on, but when Colche spoke Sid at last looked up. His eyes went wide, allowing his sunglasses to slip down the bridge of his nose again. He barely heard what she said after that, he was too busy staring. He'd been so pleased with himself over almost adjusting to the myriad of animal people on the island, but the incongruence of her face, not to mention the fuzzy nudity, threw him.

The hair he could deal with, he'd seen that before, but human eyes in the middle of an otherwise cheetah face struck him as deeply disturbing. The sight made it hard to resist raising the bottle of rum, right there in front of her, to take another drink. He went so far as to glance at it, but the realization it wouldn't help- at least not immediately- kept him from following through. It would have been even rude than staring, anyway. Instead he raised his hand long enough to push his sunglasses back up, hiding eyes that were too bloodshot to be considered anything close to perfect. The other hand, meanwhile, tightened on his cane.

Sid forced a smile, though it took him a moment to find his voice again. "Hey there," he said, silently wondering what other oddities he was going to run across. Words failed him, a rare thing to be treasured.

"Sorry, hon," he said, raising the bottle slightly to illustrate. The cane was always evident, much as he hated that. "My hands are kind full here, but yeah, I'm new." He still sounded bemused, still didn't know where he should be looking.

"I'm Sid," he added, and after he'd exhausted that option he had no idea what else to say.

"This?" he asked, looking down at the cane. He stole a glance at her as he said it, not sure if she was serious. "This is... this is to help me walk."

The second question only confused him even more. It was clear enough to see, much as he tried not to keep looking, that Colche was perfectly developed. And yet... He didn't want to think about the possible explinations. He glanced away, searching for a way out, or maybe just cue cards. Something.

"I don't know what I'm gonna become, if that's what you're saying," he said slowly, looking back as he spoke.

"Swim?" He glanced at the water, anything for an excuse to look away. "Ah, no, but thanks."

He chewed on his lip, a nervous habit that seemed to spring up whenever he was without a cigarette. He had them on him this time, but with the bottle and the cane it would require too much trouble. Colche, once he glanced back to her, looked like the type to complain about the smell.

"Okay, look, I don't want you to take this the wrong way or anything, but..." He paused, sucked in a breath. "You're not...slow, are you?" He barely caught himself from saying retarded. "Or, rather, the changes didn't do that to you, did they? Screw with your mental capacity? I just- it's nothing against you- I just wonder."

He could blame the alcohol for making him actually voicing the question, but as soon as it was out of his mouth, however mangled, he wondered if it would even make sense to her. Did the retarded know they were retarded? Likely not, he told himself. Throwing manners to the wind, he took a large pull off the bottle of rum.

"Right, right," he said quickly. He tried to put a hand out placatingly, but that would mean, at the very least, shifting the bottle over to rest under his arm. He couldn't risk dropping it. "I understand now."

He still couldn't look her in the eyes. It was just too creepy. "I apologize for assuming."

He vaguely recalled knowing a girl who'd come from similar treatment, but it wouldn't do to launch into a story about that. He remained silent, opting to look at the surf instead of that bizarre mishmash of features. If he had kept drinking he would have finished the bottle by now.

Sid kept looking around, suddenly very interested in the beach scenery around them. The rum was taking hold, but it was only helping to amplify how damned unnerving it all was. He was reminded of how bad he was with kids, even his own, but acknowledging that still didn't give him any brilliant ideas for how best to act around the cheetah girl.

"Sweetheart," he said, forcing a fresh smile. "I can honestly say I haven't the slightest inclination to do anything, uh, 'bad' to you, don't worry."

It was true. Even if his chances of getting with a normal woman were shot to hell from the moment he set foot on the island (as if they were ever that good to begin with), he doubted he'd ever be so desperate that he'd find any female-shaped-thing covered in fur or feathers or whatever attractive.