"No rush, man. The singles club is still cool." And to tell the truth, knowing the relationship's dissolved makes Howard feel a little guilty for pushing Zou to start it up in the first place.

Howard dismounts a little less smoothly, slipping a bit in the mud. By now he's cold enough that his fingers feel like nothing but knuckles. "Yeah, right. She sheds her body weight every few hours."

And indeed, when they get in the Inn, it's revealed that Emergency Rations has not only shed all over the only clean shirt Howard has, but has escaped and killed one of the small critters from Hydroponics and left it for them on said shirt.

Howard rolls his eyes. "Fine, I'll wear the wolves t-shirt. The universe is willing it."