"Ooooh. Gotcha. Then you want to go thataway." She points.

.... Yvette looks at Zash for confirmation.

"Looks about right!

"So what is the situation in Terminal, anyway?" He turns to look at Morgan to add the context of, "We're planning to help a plant not die."

"Thought the gig would be stealing them but, yeah, sure, if you know how to do that then why not, right."

Yvette does, in fact, change the car's direction to go where pointed, because it's not like she has much better of an idea. She was mostly right.

"So there's a sand steamer that'll arrive there around then. It is the one with the plant, not the town. It makes a living going from place to place and making what they need and selling it elsewhere. And, uh, also transporting rich people to where they want to go, it also does that."

To Morgan: "Rumours of my crimes towards plants have been greatly exaggerated and/or were entirely fabricated."

To Yvette: "The ship has only one plant?"

"Yep. It constantly wants plant engineers to come look at her, it's gone through... a few." Wince. "Technically speaking, they wanted to hire me, I got a look at their itinerary. The idea was to go take them up on that offer, but, you know, from this side."

"Wait. You're an actual plant engineer? Out here? In a car in the middle of the desert?? Ha! Sweet, okay, I'm down. So we're all walking paydays for people!"

"Six mil for me, probably about the same if not more for Yvette, how about you, how much do you think you fetch with the cult?"

"No idea, I wasn't ever on the money side of things. I don't think I'll pull as much as either of you but I'm not sure sure about that, you know?"

"Maybe if we all surrender ourselves and then pull off daring escapes we get to keep the money and the freedom. Hard to do without hurting people, though, and that bit is non-negotiable."

"It is?"

"Well, killing people, sometimes you do have to hurt them but I don't like to."

"..... kaaaaaay I'm going to pinky promise to do my very best to follow those preferences, but if I have to kill someone to keep squishy noncombatant safe I'm gonna."

"Let's just try to avoid getting into situations where that's necessary."

"Sure, sure, I'm just telling you which way I'm gonna fall if the situation happens despite our best efforts."

"You just met me."

"And you gave me a ride in your car! You both seem nice, and you said you'd adopt me if I, quote, 'keep the delicate noncombatant in the car from becoming riddled with holes or squished or something,' and I'm saying I accept your terms. So. Hi, mom! I'll do my best to keep you safe, even if dad will be upset about how I killed someone to do that!"

Zash wishes he could really argue, but, well... he's never really demanded that others follow his own rules. Especially not humans. If humans want to decide that other humans live or die, well, that's a lot more fair than if he does. He's not human; it's just not his place.

"That's all I can really ask for."

"You're just not even going to question how she has decided to call us mom and dad. You're just fine with that."

"You haven't either!"

"Do not call me mom or any related motherly noun, please, I have complicated enough hangups about ever having children as it is, I feel like adopting an adult woman would in fact be too weird for me."

"I'm younger than I look but fair enough!"

"You can call me dad if you want." He's pretty sure he's completely infertile, at least with humans, but he's one hundred percent never going to test that assertion.

"Mmmm I'll think about it, it's not as fun if it doesn't match."