"Found river."

Ever since learning his ability to communicate with more than feelings and pictures, Kygo had revealed a parrot's natural desire to babble, incessantly. His timid nature kept him at bay often enough, but it still wasn't enough for Ampere, not when every word that echoed in her skull was a reminder of her own moral failure. Still, that pain had worn away under time, as pain is wont to do. The green conure was an inevitable presence, jostled in there alongside her soul, and like anything that is constant it became less and less notable. Ampere still had her moments, like a bear being tranquilized, abruptly aware that it was being tricked and so raging out of its brief dulled state to take a swipe or two before the effect kicked back in, so some days were better than others.

"Strange," Kygo commented further, uncaring of Ampere's reception to his stream of consciousness. That last bit intrigued the Mother of Companions though, like a brief, shiny object in a world that had grown dusty and dull around her. Gently she roused, but feigned nonchalance, lest she excite the creature; "What's strange?"

"Side." The weak communication was evidence of the growing Kygo had left to do. These breaks in understanding often frustrated Ampere, who not wanting to have the conversations in the first place, was further incited when they weren't even cohesive. She was about to prompt him again, unusually patient (an effect of the tranquilizers of grief), but a sudden flurry of vibrant yellow and orange burst along their bond, tinging her thoughts with an edge of joy. Raucous laughter drifted from across the desert; perplexed, Ampere stood from her afternoon nap and started for the bird's discovery.

"Cactus pee!" he finally managed to think amid his cawing, his tone high and light with mirth. Then, a bit more smug (proud of the dirty word he knew), "Desert dick.". Ampere, utterly at a loss now, snorted at his words and pressed in with a quicker pace. She had to jostle her way through some shrubbery, and barely fit under a rocky overhang that blocked a small little alcove of rocks and cactus, but she made it into the desert den where Kygo was still chirping with humor. "Desert dick!" he greeted her verbally, flapping across the way to draw her eye to the large cactus that did indeed seem to be urinating. An off color yellow, like a dirty amber, tricked slowly but steadily from a metal nozzle stuck into its side. It looked like some sort of left over crafting shrapnel, tossed aside carelessly for its uselessness, except it wasn't gleaming in the sun; too covered in dust and shadowed in this hidden area. It looked old, if she had to guess, years before Cera, maybe more.

"Tastes funny," Kygo informed her as Ampere approached, inspecting the oddity. She'd been about to turn an leave, her fascination cured, but that stopped her. You tasted it? Cactus urine? She shook her head, but despite herself was moderately amused by the silly bird. Of course it tastes funny! She glanced back at the fluid, hesitant. She wanted to be dismissive of it, roll her eyes at the ordeal and move on, but part of her, a steadily growing part of her, wanted to know what exactly tastes funny meant.

Wavering back and forth, Kygo's gentle prod of, "Scared? Me brave," was enough to make up her mind. Resolutely she stalked back towards the pissing plant, thrust her open mouth under the stream, and drank. The taste hit her immediately- sour. The burn came right after, scorching the back of her throat and wafting up to sizzle in her nostrils as she made a face. The heat elicited a strong bout of coughing, and by the time she'd recovered the edges of her eyes were watering. That's not urine, she croaked. So what exactly was it? It certainly didn't refresh her like water, and it wasn't sweet the way berries or fruits could be, but admittedly it wasn't altogether unpleasant, even if it was strong. Needing another taste to figure it out she tried again, or three times, or four... Being a smaller mare with an empty stomach, let's just say she was affected.

---

SUN YOU SON OF A BITCH! came Ampere's bleary trumpet of a curse as she staggered into the church. Her body slouched against the opening frame, noticeably tired as she leaned exaggeratedly against it. She giggled suddenly then, amused by the two types of 'su/on' she had inadvertently used. The amusement stopped as abruoptly as it came on though, interrupted by another holler. SUN!!!! she roared, then coughed, as she stumbled further into the hall of worship. Com'n fix th'ss sssssshit, Ampere slurred, her head flopping with an unusual delay as she glanced around.

Gently she lifted her tail, the sudden need to pee coming upon her.