dex and zale introduction/first meeting

The night air was thick with the scent of salt and city grime. Neon lights buzzed above, casting a hazy glow over the damp streets as Zale moved through the alleys with an unbothered ease. He pulled his hood up a little further, making sure the glow from his head didn’t stand out too much. Not that it really mattered people didn’t pay much attention unless you made them.

Xie was already waiting, leaned up against the brick wall, flipping a coin between his fingers. His mask tonight was a deep green, unreadable as always. “You’re late,” he muttered, though there was no bite in his tone.

“I’m never late,” Zale responded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a crumpled bill. Xie, ever smooth, exchanged it for a small, neatly wrapped bundle of seaweed. “You know, one of these days, you’re gonna run out.”

“One of these days, you’ll stop coming back,” Xie shot back, voice flat but amused.

Zale scoffed, turning on his heel. As he stuffed the bundle into his pocket, movement at the alley’s entrance caught his attention.

A short, lanky figure with messy feathers and wide eyes stood frozen, looking like a kid caught snooping where they shouldn’t be.

Zale narrowed his glowing eyes. “Who-” He paused, tilting his head. “What are you doing here?”

The duck hybrid flinched like he’d been caught stealing. “Uh I uh ”

Zale, already deciding it wasn’t worth his time, turned and walked out of the alley, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Wait!”

Hurried footsteps pattered behind him as the duck kid Dax, apparently caught up, stepping into stride beside him. “So uh… what was that about?” Dax asked, rocking on his heels like he wasn’t sure how to act.

Zale didn’t even glance at him. “You didn’t even answer my question, but you ask your own? Psh. Okay.”

Dax frowned, then stepped in front of him, flaring his wings just a little, as if that’d somehow make him a more effective roadblock. “I’m Felix Featherfoot, but my friends call me Dax.”

Zale stared at him for a long moment, then shrugged. “Cool.”

And just like that, he walked past him.

Dax squawked in mild offense before quickly following again. “Well what are you doing up here?”

Zale finally glanced at him, one brow raised. “Walking.”

Dax huffed. “I mean, I don’t see people like us in public much. That’s why I, uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down.

Zale smirked, shaking his head. “I mean, have you even tried looking?”

Before Dax could protest, Zale casually pointed across the street. A figure, taller than both of them, walked with their hands stuffed into a thick cloak, baggy jeans covering hooved feet. A half-cow hybrid, blending in almost too easily.

“We’re in plain sight,” Zale said simply.

Dax blinked, looking between Zale and the cow hybrid with newfound realization. “Huh. I never noticed.”

Zale just shook his head. “You don’t notice what you’re not looking for.”

Dax frowned, processing that. Then, after a beat, he asked, “Well, what’s your name? You haven’t told me.”

Zale let out a short breath, as if finally realizing this conversation wasn’t going to end anytime soon. “I’m Zale. And if you can’t tell,” he tapped the side of his glowing head, “I’m a jellyfish.”

Dax grinned. “Sick.”

As they continued down the street, leaving the richer part of town behind, the air grew thicker with the scent of damp concrete and something faintly metallic. Buildings became more run-down, windows either boarded up or covered in layers of grime that hadn’t been washed in years. The occasional flickering streetlamp cast long, eerie shadows.

After a while, Zale glanced at Dax, smirking. “Didn’t your parents ever tell you not to follow strangers?”

Dax kicked at a loose stone, shrugging. “Well, I mean, I just figured you’d be an okay person…” His voice dropped to a mumble, barely audible. “And they most likely wouldn’t care anyway if they knew what you were… let alone care at all.”

Zale raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. Instead, he stopped in front of a weathered apartment complex, the kind of place that looked like it should’ve been condemned years ago but somehow still housed plenty of tenants. He dug out a key and unlocked the heavy metal door, pushing it open with his shoulder.

Inside, his apartment was dimly lit, but the glow from various fish themed decorations scattered around gave it a cozy atmosphere. Bioluminescent jellyfish tanks lined the walls, casting shifting blues and purples across the room. He didn’t bother turning on a main light he never did. Between the decorations and his own glow, he didn’t need to.

Zale walked in and immediately put on some music. A soft, dreamy melody filled the room, the vocals harmonizing in an almost hypnotic way. He settled onto his couch, pulling out the bundle of seaweed and starting to roll it into a blunt.

“You heard of this before?” he asked lazily.

Dax, still lingering near the doorway, shook his head. “No?”

“This is by Dayvu. The Frog Twins. They’re really good singers.” Zale looked genuinely surprised. “I’m shocked you haven’t heard of them.”

Dax shrugged, walking further inside. “I dunno much about underground music.”

Zale gave him a side glance, his curiosity piqued. “Do you not know any others like us?” He paused, then added, “Who did you say your parents were again?”

Dax rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Featherfoot is my last name. Look me up.”

Zale, intrigued, leaned over to his desktop and typed it in. The search results loaded instantly, displaying headlines about a well known engineer Mister Featherfoot, pioneer of groundbreaking tech at Ultra-tech Corporation. The articles praised his advancements in human technology, detailing his achievements alongside his wife. Both were listed as fully human.

Zale glanced between the screen and Dax, his expression shifting from curiosity to sheer amusement. Then, with a grin, he burst out laughing. “Ohhhhhhhhh YOU have human parents? No wonder!”

Dax’s feathers ruffled as he crossed his arms, scowling. “It’s not that quackin’ funny, dude dang”

Zale wiped at his eye, still chuckling. “Nah, nah, it is funny. No wonder you’re so clueless about hybrids.” He took another look at Dax, then smirked. “Yeah, you gotta hang with more people like us. I’m guessing I’m your first real friend?”

Dax hesitated, then just nodded.

Zale, for once, didn’t tease. Instead, he leaned back, taking a slow drag from the blunt before exhaling. “Well, don’t worry. Stick with me, and you’ll get what you’re missing out on.”