"I did a whole series on that tribe of Merpeople, actually. I stayed with them on and off for hours at a time for a summer. That's how I learned Mermish," Penelope explained. Her skin has been permanently prune-like that entire three months. Gillyweed made the experience more comfortable, but having literal tons of water on top of you for hours was not a comfortable experience for any land-dweller.
Penny eyed the print he was looking at from across the room. "The magazine pays me for animals. Animals are a lot more exciting than plants, let me tell you. That Sphinx is a bit deceiving, though. She put on a great display, as you can see, but I answered her riddle so she took a liking to me. She thought the photos were fun. She was sweet, really." It had taken a while to get used to talking to a human face that was not connected to a human body, however.
Frozen meals? At least Penny wasn't that useless in the kitchen. "I'm not sick, I just feel a bit, well, nasty from not eating healthy," she said, waving the issue away.
How had they gone from the awkward conversation to what was going on now? They were talking like there hadn't been ten years of zero contact. "Perce," she said, using a nickname she hadn't had the opportunity to use for years, "I am not nearly fancy enough to keep nice wine lying around. If you want wine, I have cheap wine that tastes like strawberries. And hard liquor. Vodka and cranberry juice?" she offered, smirking.