instar: (human)
Author: instar
There is one visit during the day from a lady down the street who has made the girls a casserole, on the grounds that it can be hard to remember to eat when bereaved. Bella thanks her sincerely, sniffles a little, and sends her on her way. The casserole is shared around for lunch. Bella asks Ax what Andalites eat, and when she finds out, she locates a bag of grass clippings in the backyard that he pronounces acceptable. She also asks him how he eats them. By way of illustration, he steps both forehooves into the bag of clippings.

Night falls.

They can all go to the Seattle zoo and acquire everything they can get their hands on.
aeskhyne: (① loves to light the fuse)
Author: aeskhyne
The first thing they get their hands on is a map.

"All right," says Trouble, "what's everybody want?"
instar: (rabbit)
Author: instar
Pigeons can't carry notebooks, but Bella took a slip of paper with a list. "My priorities are - owl, ideally something unremarkable and common like a barn owl; some kind of big cat but I'd prefer a jaguar because those actually live in the Americas and I don't want it overwhelmingly obvious that we're hitting up zoos; bird of prey, maybe a peregrine; something like a coyote if they have it - ah, good, they have those - and the snake if you can manage it. I'll take anything beyond that I can get hold of without doing extra transit morphs, though."
pandion: (Default)
Author: pandion
"I want a snow leopard instead of a jaguar if that's okay. And a wolf. And otherwise what Bella's getting except I don't care about the coyote."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I know very little about Earth fauna,> says Ax, looking around via stalk eyes, once he's demorphed. <I will accept advice on the subject. I may also fit in somewhat fewer of these enclosures than you would.>
sundayfish: (Default)
Author: sundayfish
"Think I'd like a bigger owl than a barn... I'd like a wolf too, better than a cat, I think."
hold_infinity: (① has the dawn)
Author: hold_infinity
"Ooh, they have mountain goats," says Robin. "I want one. And they have lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards - I want all four. I'm going to see if that morph mixing thing works between species that can interbreed."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<There are species here that can interbreed?>
hold_infinity: (⑧ here and there)
Author: hold_infinity
"Yeah, some. Specifically the four living Panthera cats, that I just listed - almost all of them have been interbred with almost all the rest, and between lions and tigers I think they've gotten down to crosses of crosses. So I want to see if I can get a mix of all four with morphing."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<That would be a fascinating discovery if it worked.>
hold_infinity: (④ the greatest show)
Author: hold_infinity
"Ooh, and a serval. Those are fascinating. They can jump with incredible precision."
palmofyourhand: (④ in heaven hell or earth)
Author: palmofyourhand
"I'll have what she's having," says Ethan.
instar: (rabbit)
Author: instar
"These are mostly not particularly friendly critters - the goats might be safe, but I'd just as soon not risk it. So I guess we're moving as a group. Some of the enclosures it might be more efficient for me or Andi to hang back as elephants and put people in and take them out, if we're not getting those animals ourselves. Let's go see the cats first, everybody but Dad wants cats - and Dad, you should take a cat anyway, if there's one where it's easy to get in and out."
sundayfish: (how bout that)
Author: sundayfish
"Yep," says Charlie.
aeskhyne: (③ smile on my face)
Author: aeskhyne
"And I want an otter," says Trouble, "if we can get those. Otters are cute." He checks the map. "Looks like they're on the way to the kitties. Otters first if they're convenient, then big cats, then we figure out where to go next?"
pandion: (lock)
Author: pandion
"Ooh, otters, I want an otter!" agrees Andi.
instar: (Default)
Author: instar
"Sounds like a plan."
aeskhyne: (② all night cannonball)
Author: aeskhyne
Otters it is!

The otters, it turns out, are perfectly accessible; the back door to their enclosure isn't locked. Trouble finds a sleeping one and pets it.
instar: (dolphin)
Author: instar
Since they're so easily got, everybody else gets otters, too. Otters all round.
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
Big cats next!

Snow leopards are closest. The door to get into their enclosure is locked—
palmofyourhand: (⑤ from our victory)
Author: palmofyourhand
—but not for long.
instar: (Default)
Author: instar
"Oh, nicely done, I'm not even going to make snide remarks," murmurs Bella.
palmofyourhand: (② from the beginning)
Author: palmofyourhand
Ethan smirks triumphantly.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble leads the way into the enclosure.

He finds a napping snow leopard.

He pets her.

"Oh," he murmurs, "she's so soft..."
pandion: (thought)
Author: pandion
"Ooooh," breathes Andi when she follows suit, "she iiiiis."
instar: (dolphin)
Author: instar
Napping snow leopard softness for everybody!
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
Next up: jaguar.
palmofyourhand: (④ in heaven hell or earth)
Author: palmofyourhand
Ethan gets them into that one, too.
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble locates a jaguar.

The jaguar is awake.

"Hey, pretty kitty," he says softly. "Wanna come play?"

The jaguar slinks closer and sniffs him. He reaches out and touches—his, yes, this is a boy jaguar—his nose. The jaguar's eyes half-close and he lets Trouble pet him.
palmofyourhand: (⑧ keeps the human soul)
Author: palmofyourhand
Ethan acquires him second, then Robin.
instar: (shark)
Author: instar
And twins, and Charlie, and Ax.
palmofyourhand: (⑩ even deserts burn)
Author: palmofyourhand
The building that contains the back doors to the lion, tiger, leopard, and serval enclosures has a lock that is beyond Ethan's power to defeat.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Time to do some morphing," says Trouble.

The tiger is the closest to the door that Ethan failed to open; he goes there first. And then the rest of them, as they come up: leopard, serval, lion.
hold_infinity: (⑥ wanna be my string)
Author: hold_infinity
Robin accompanies him to every single one.
palmofyourhand: (⑥ could be anything)
Author: palmofyourhand
Ethan declines to pick up a lion, tiger, or leopard, but does go for the serval.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
In spite of the fact that the trenches around the cat habitats are too long for elephant-putting to be any help, Ax likes the look of the tiger and joins in for that acquisition.
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble checks the map when kitty time has concluded. "Wolves, coyotes, and mountain goats are all over thataway," he says, indicating a direction. "And after that it's not far to get to the birds."
instar: (Default)
Author: instar
"Lead on."
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
On he leads! The wolves prove easy to get to; coyotes not so much. Trouble, Ethan, and Robin all pick up both.
instar: (Default)
Author: instar
Bella takes the trouble to collect an inconvenient coyote by way of flying morph. Her sister, father, and alien subordinate do not.
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne


And then there are the goats.
palmofyourhand: (④ in heaven hell or earth)
Author: palmofyourhand
Getting into the goat enclosure proves to be quite simple.
hold_infinity: (⑦ take a look around)
Author: hold_infinity
Getting to - that is, up to - the goats is a separate matter entirely.

Robin is willing to pigeon her way up a fake cliff that her human self is in no way capable of climbing; Ethan and Trouble are willing to join her.
instar: (Default)
Author: instar
The others pass.
aeskhyne: (① loves to light the fuse)
Author: aeskhyne
"Birds!" says Trouble.

The barn owls prove to be convenient; their neighbours the great horned owls are not. Even after getting into the enclosure, it takes Trouble several minutes to find the bird, and she bites him before he acquires her. But he perseveres.
sundayfish: (hopeless cook)
Author: sundayfish
Charlie, having beetled his way into the great horned's cage, also acquires her.
palmofyourhand: (⑤ from our victory)
Author: palmofyourhand
So do Ethan and Robin.

Ethan is unable to get them in to see the peregrine falcon, but her neighbour the American kestrel is easily visited.
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
And of course, just because Ethan can't open the door doesn't mean all hope is lost. Anyone who wants a peregrine falcon just has to morph a bug to get in. Trouble and Ethan both do.
hold_infinity: (⑦ take a look around)
Author: hold_infinity
Robin, lacking any bug morphs, perforce does not acquire the peregrine.
instar: (dolphin)
Author: instar
The twins collect the peregrine.
sundayfish: (Default)
Author: sundayfish
Charlie settles for the kestrel, and Ax doesn't have a bug morph either.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Okay," says Trouble. "Everybody's got everything that was on their specific lists, right? Except the unspecified venomous snake?"
instar: (rabbit)
Author: instar
Bella checks her list. "Yes."
hold_infinity: (⑥ wanna be my string)
Author: hold_infinity
"Yeah," says Robin. "Snake time?"
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Snake time. Rattlesnakes are the only venomous species I recognize here," he says, checking the map again.
hold_infinity: (⑦ take a look around)
Author: hold_infinity
Robin double-checks for him. "Yeah, looks like."

Off they go to the rattlesnake!
instar: (Default)
Author: instar
"Try not to let it bite you. Time for that during downtime after Ethan has it," Bella mutters.
aeskhyne: (① loves to light the fuse)
Author: aeskhyne
"I'll be careful, promise."

He is careful. The rattlesnake does not bite him. In fact, it does not even wake up.
instar: (dolphin)
Author: instar
And then everyone has the snake.
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
And as they are leaving the snake, Trouble happens to catch sight of the reticulated python in the next enclosure over.

"...Fuck, I think I'm in love," he murmurs. "Ethan?"
palmofyourhand: (④ in heaven hell or earth)
Author: palmofyourhand
"Of course, darling," he says, and kisses Trouble on the cheek, and picks the lock for him.
pandion: (Default)
Author: pandion
"It's a pretty snake," agrees Andi. She squints in the dark to read the placard on its tank. "I can't tell if, like, two-thirds of the animals we're getting are boys or girls."
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Does it matter?" wonders Trouble.
pandion: (pearls)
Author: pandion
"A little. I guess not that much."
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
He shrugs. "Doesn't matter at all to me."
palmofyourhand: (② from the beginning)
Author: palmofyourhand
"Yes," says Ethan, "I wonder why that is? Can't imagine. Go and get your pretty snake now."
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble goes and gets his pretty snake.
pandion: (brow)
Author: pandion
Everyone else may as well get the pretty snake, too. "Wait, there's a specific reason that it doesn't bother you?"
aeskhyne: (③ smile on my face)
Author: aeskhyne
"Kinda, yeah," says Trouble.

The snake is sleeping, and sleeps through everyone acquiring it. Since there is more than enough snake for everyone to touch at once - it's about twenty feet long - this doesn't take much time at all.
pandion: (do tell)
Author: pandion
"What is it?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Mmm..." says Trouble, not like he's evading, more like he's trying to figure out how to put it.
hold_infinity: (⑥ wanna be my string)
Author: hold_infinity
Robin, as the last one out of the enclosure, shuts the door behind her.

"Trouble doesn't seem to think that changing his sex or his species makes him any less essentially Trouble," she offers as a partial explanation.
pandion: (lock)
Author: pandion
"Well, yeah. It's just morphs, we're still us," says Andi. "It's just weirder for me to be boy animals."
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"Right," says Trouble. "But it's not weird for me to be girl animals, because... I'm not not a girl."
pandion: (skepticism)
Author: pandion
"You aren't not a - what?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Girl," he repeats. "It's not a one-or-the-other thing for me; morphing Robin or a female bear or whatever doesn't make me feel like I'm doing something against the nature of who I am; I don't correct people when they say 'he' or whatever, because I'm also not not a guy, but if you all suddenly decided that you were going to treat me like a girl from now on it wouldn't be weird or upsetting or hard to handle. It would be just as okay as treating me like a guy is."
pandion: (pearls)
Author: pandion
Andi scratches her head. "That's a thing?"
instar: (rabbit)
Author: instar
"It's at least sort of like a thing," says Bella.
palmofyourhand: (④ in heaven hell or earth)
Author: palmofyourhand
"It is observably a thing," says Ethan. "Observe its thingness. Are we going to stand around chatting, or are we planning to get home before the clock strikes midnight and we all turn into pumpkins?"
instar: (shark)
Author: instar
"Let's get out of here and try out our new owls."
palmofyourhand: (⑤ from our victory)
Author: palmofyourhand
"Grand," says Ethan. He morphs the great horned owl.
hold_infinity: (⑦ take a look around)
Author: hold_infinity
Robin does the same.
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
Tempted as he is to go for the pigeon again, Trouble tries that owl too.
morphbox: (barnowl)
Author: morphbox
Owls fly back to Forks.
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble even deigns to sleep indoors tonight!
instar: (rabbit)
Author: instar
"How soundly do you sleep?"
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
"Depends."
instar: (cat)
Author: instar
"On?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
He considers this question for a few seconds, and then says, "Stress level. If you're asking if I'm gonna wake up if somebody breaks in while I'm napping on the couch, the answer's 'probably'."
instar: (owl)
Author: instar
"Okay. The alternative involves moderately uncomfortable bed-shuffling shenanigans to put Andi who wakes up when people breathe on the couch."
pandion: (brow)
Author: pandion
"I manage to sleep through you listing random words all night long," says Andi. "But yeah."
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"I'm not gonna sleep in the same room as your dad, either," he adds. "Nothing against your dad, I'm just - not. But I'll take the couch if that's fine with everybody."
instar: (rabbit)
Author: instar
"Couch it is."

Couch-sleeping accessories are procured.
pandion: (lock)
Author: pandion
Andi wanders upstairs while Bella's doing that.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble snuggles up on the couch.

"G'night, Bella. You still want to talk about that thing from the other day?"
instar: (doe)
Author: instar
"Yeah. Is now a good time?"
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Sure, if we're quiet."
instar: (owl)
Author: instar
"Sure," she murmurs.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Okay. ...I don't really know where to start," he admits.
instar: (shark)
Author: instar
"Well - what's your take on what happened?"
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Ax asked me to do something I wasn't gonna do, and I didn't feel like sticking around to explain why, so I bailed," he says quietly. "Being able to just leave a conversation I don't wanna be in anymore is kind of a big thing for me."
instar: (owl)
Author: instar
"Meanwhile," says Bella, "today while Ax was hanging around in the garage being bored, I talked to him about it, and - well, it took a while to get his entire perspective because he kept framing it in terms of what kind of organizational structure are we working with here, do humans have a concept of 'pride', etcetera, but as far as he can tell you insulted him for no reason, and for the sake of inter-Animorph unity he refrained from challenging you to a duel and just asked you not to do that, instead, and then you said you could do whatever you wanted and flew away and for some reason the resident princess didn't reprimand you or him so he was wondering if humans just prefer to exist in environments of social hostility or something. I guess the difference might just boil down to that if I tell Ax he needs to fix this interpersonal conflict on his end, he might do something other than metaphorically flipping me off. I told him you were an unusual human, but - well, I understand you well enough to do some things, but 'explain you to an alien' isn't one of them."
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
He snorts.

"And I could explain me to the alien, but I don't see why he'd give a fuck. What's a duel? If he wants to beat me up every time I piss him off, I can work with that. As long as he doesn't want to fuck me too."
instar: (cat)
Author: instar
"I'm not confident, but I have the impression that the general Andalite dueling setup ends with somebody dead or permanently maimed," says Bella.
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble shrugs. "Okay, no, then."
instar: (snake)
Author: instar
Bella drops her forehead into her hand. "So, I go tell him that you're going to be insulting him whenever you like and he is to ignore it and see if I can still get a 'yes Princess' to that, is that where we are, here?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble sighs. "I'll talk to him if you want. I just don't promise he's gonna come out of it any happier than he would if you did that."
instar: (shark)
Author: instar
"What would you say?"
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
"I have no idea."
instar: (owl)
Author: instar
Bella is silent, staring into space, for a long moment of thought.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble waits with infinite patience.
instar: (spider)
Author: instar
"Do you think you'd make anything worse?"
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Again, no idea. I wouldn't try to. Pissing him off is not a fun hobby."
instar: (shark)
Author: instar
Bella opens her mouth, then closes it.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Something to say?"
instar: (spider)
Author: instar
"I do not think that saying what I was about to say would get me anything I want to have."
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Well, I'm curious."
instar: (snake)
Author: instar
"I don't know how to fix this, but that doesn't mean I can't make it worse by saying everything that pops into my head."
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"And you're worried you'll, what... piss me off?"
instar: (cat)
Author: instar
"Or something. I don't allow myself the luxury of hurting any feelings that happen to wander by on the grounds of whim."
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Uh-huh. So what were you gonna say?"
instar: (cat)
Author: instar
"You met a friendly, helpful, stranded, frightened alien who had just discovered that his brother was dead and placed himself under the protection of someone who's supposedly your friend, and then you upset him, and he politely told you that the thing you said upset him, and I have seen no indication that you give a fraction of a shit. You aren't curious what constitutes an insult to an Andalite so you can avoid any portion of the possible ways to ruin his day, you haven't apologized or given any noticeable thought to what apologizing would look like, I don't think you're even acting like this on the grounds that it offends you that Ax is racist against Yeerks. I don't think there is a way to be in the wrong in this situation that you haven't at least flirted with except that I believe that you didn't intentionally set out to hurt his feelings, which means precious little when you demonstrate no interest in the fact that they exist. And I'm still probably going to have to tell Ax to suck it up even though his worst crime here is not liking a species that has been fighting his people since before he was born, since he has done me the great courtesy of presenting leverage for me to apply and you haven't. And that's how I get to reward him, I guess, I get to tell him that on this particular team of humans sometimes people are going to trespass on his sacred values and that's his problem."
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne




Trouble snuggles into his blanket and doesn't say anything.
instar: (owl)
Author: instar
"So I guess I'll go do that, then, shall I." Bella gets up.
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"...Can I talk to him first? I mean - instead, hopefully?"
instar: (shark)
Author: instar
"And say what?"
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"I'm really not sure. But I don't want him to have to suck it up."
instar: (rabbit)
Author: instar
"Are you going to apologize to him or something, then?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Or something. I don't know."
instar: (spider)
Author: instar
"Is there some other form of him not sucking it up of which I am unaware?"
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"I really don't know what I'm doing," he says. "I don't have plans, I'm not even sure I have goals, I have... vague hopes. But me and my vague hopes can get a pretty long way together sometimes."
instar: (snake)
Author: instar
Bella sits back down and puts her head in her hands.

She indulges in two seconds of what appears to be exhausted despair.

Then she gets up again. "Okay. Fine. I couldn't even stop you if I wanted, could I?"
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"You probably could. But I'm glad you're not going to try it," he says. "G'night."
instar: (owl)
Author: instar
"Mmhm." She heads for the stairs.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble wraps his blanket around himself and brings it with him into the garage after she goes.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
Ax is in the garage. The lights are off. There are plastic glow in the dark stars on the ceiling which weren't there before.
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
He looks up at the stars as he gently shuts the door, tucking in a trailing edge of blanket before it can get caught.

"Hi," he says.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Hello.>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"I wanna talk to you. Do you wanna talk?"
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<What do you want to talk about?>
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"That thing where we set each other off the other day."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
Hooves scrape softly on concrete. <Ah. Princess Bella said I was not required to apologize; do you disagree?>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Nah," says Trouble. "I don't know what you'd be apologizing for if you did. And I don't think you know, either."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I do not,> Ax agrees.
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah, I figured," says Trouble. "So there wouldn't be much point."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Do humans believe the point of apologies has to do with demonstrating knowledge?> wonders Ax.
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"If somebody's sorry for setting me off, but they don't know what they did or why it mattered or what setting me off even means, that doesn't do me much good, does it?"
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Well,> says Ax, <not if the apology is given under duress. I asked Princess Bella not to order you to do so, but she said that it wouldn't matter if she did.>
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Asked her not to, huh?"

He sits down with his back against the wall, tucking the blanket in around himself and drawing his knees up to his chest.

"Why's that?"
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Because that would render it meaningless in any event.>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah," says Trouble. "Makes sense."

He is quiet for a moment.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
Ax waits.
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"I don't think I know what I'd be apologizing for, either," he says. "But I want to."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<For comparing me to a Yeerk. I am not sure how this failed to be clear.>
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"No, that part I get," he says. "I guess what I mean is - I don't understand it. I could guess, but that's not the same thing."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<What else is there to explain?>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"I don't know, maybe nothing," says Trouble. "Maybe the answer really is that you just hate Yeerks so much that you can't stand hearing that one time one of them noticed the same obvious fact that you noticed. In which case I'm gonna have a hard time being sorry about it. But I still want to try."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
Ax's feet shuffle. <When Andi was in here adding the glowing shapes to the ceiling, she mentioned that one of Princess Bella's talents is picking apart her feelings in arbitrary detail. That is not a talent I have.>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Sure, me neither," says Trouble. "The stars are a cute idea."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<It was very kind of her. It helps a little.>
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah," says Trouble. He tips his head back to look at them.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<So, I don't know if I can satisfy your curiosity.>
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
"Mm, 'curiosity' might not be the word," he says. "But okay."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Where does that leave us?>
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Dunno," he says. "Are you gonna try eating breakfast with us again tomorrow?"
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
More hoof-shuffly sounds. <I do not know.>
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"I could bring you some out here if you'd rather," he offers.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<That would probably lead to more... dignified results, although I do not know how much more.>
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Probably," Trouble agrees. "Up to you."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Will it be the French toast again?>
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
"Probably not," he says. "There's not much more bread. I might do pancakes. Or something with bacon."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I do not know what those things are, but suspect it will be pleasant to find out.>
aeskhyne: (① loves to light the fuse)
Author: aeskhyne
"I bet you're right!"
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<We are no longer talking about what you originally wished to talk about,> Ax observes.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah. But I'm still doing what I came here for."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I don't understand.>
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
"Well... back to the other day," he says. "When you said you didn't want to be compared to Yeerks. I wasn't really hearing that the way you meant it. I mean, I did, I understood the words and what you were talking about, but I had a whole different reaction to it that wasn't about you or what you were saying so much as it was about... other stuff that's happened in my life. And what I'm trying to do is change that reaction, so if you tell me you don't want me to do something I can listen instead of getting scared and running away. Finding other ways to be nice to you helps with that. I don't know why, but it does."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<...Ah.>
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble shrugs.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Do I need to be cautious about how I phrase things? With you, with humans generally?>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Couldn't tell you about other humans. With me... I don't think how you phrase things is so much the problem. It's just how you came off when you said that one thing, and how everybody else seemed to take it, and how I was feeling right then. I ended up feeling like somebody was going to try to make me act a certain way, and - I have problems with that."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Princess Bella does not seem to think that she can make you do things,> offers Ax.
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah. She knows."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I do not really understand the structure of this group. Princess Bella clarified a few things, but was then distracted and then Andi came in with the glowing shapes.>
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"We don't have much of a structure," says Trouble. "Which parts did Bella clarify? I could tell you some of the rest."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<She said that she is not really the leader even though no one else more exactly meets the description. She is willing to lead me, and can typically convince her sister to do things, and is still unsure of how things will work out in the long run with Charlie, and can often convince Robin that good ideas are good ideas, and is generally "crossing her fingers and hoping" about you and Ethan.>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Ethan and Robin are best friends," says Trouble. "Ethan pretty much doesn't care about anybody but her. He'll do whatever he thinks is good for Robin. Which right now means saving the world from the Yeerks."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Ah.>
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"And me, well, I have problems with people telling me what to do, but I wanna save the world too." He snorts softly. "Or die trying."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I don't know how you expect to be part of an effective unit without a command structure. Did you want to be the leader instead of Princess Bella?>
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"I could," he says. "Might solve a few things. But nah, I don't really want to."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I don't understand how this is supposed to work,> says Ax.
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
"Nobody does."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<That seems even less likely to be effective.>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Aw, we'll figure something out. We already managed to rescue Charlie and collect you."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<All without Yeerk suspicion. When the realize that the Dome fell intact - that there could be Andalites on earth, let alone human morphers - they will be on their guard.>
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yep," says Trouble. "Or the first time we do something really blatant."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Yes.>
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
He shrugs. "And then I guess it'll get harder."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Wouldn't it be easier if everyone followed Princess Bella?>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Could be. That doesn't mean it's gonna happen, though."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Why not?>
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"Well, what do you mean by 'following Princess Bella'?"
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Doing as she says. Operating under her command the way I have begun to do.>
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"I can't do that," says Trouble.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Why not?>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"I just don't have it in me. I'd quit first. I'll do some stuff she wants me to, if she asks. I'll help. But I can't be under orders like that."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<She seems very intelligent and committed,> volunteers Ax.
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Sure she is. It's not her that's the problem."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I don't think I understand the problem.>
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah, I know. Do you want to?"
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Ideally.>
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
"If I try to put myself in a position where somebody can just tell me to do something and expect I'm gonna do it 'cause they said so, I'll end up running away instead. And not coming back this time. It's just not something I can do. Because of... personal stuff."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Is this a common human affliction?>
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Nope. Well - having stuff you can't do or have a hard time with because somebody hurt you, that happens plenty. The exact nature of the stuff varies more."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<You have this problem because you were previously under incompetent command...? I thought you were all considered too young to fight by the standards of your culture.>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah, well, it wasn't a military commander. It was my stepfather."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<...Oh,> says Ax, in tones of someone who doesn't really understand but doesn't know if they want to continue the conversation either.
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"There's details, but they aren't very nice, and they don't really explain why I came out of it exactly how I did. That part's just me, I guess."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Princess Bella did say you are an unusual human.>
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"She got that right."
pandion: (Default)
Author: pandion
There are footsteps, down the stairs and past the garage door into the kitchen.
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"Huh, I wonder who's up," says Trouble.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<I don't know. Does it matter?>
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
He shrugs. "I guess not."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Are any of the others likely to be alarmed by your absence from the couch?>
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"I don't think so."

But, contemplating this possibility, he gets to his feet and opens the door and peeks out.
pandion: (do tell)
Author: pandion
Andi is dimly visible in the moonlight filtered through the curtains; she hasn't bothered to turn on a light. She is standing by the sink with a glass of water. "Making friends with Ax?" she asks Trouble.
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"Trying to."
pandion: (brow)
Author: pandion
"Are you having trouble with it? I pried the plastic stars off our ceiling for him and showed him where to get a casserole dish he could stand in to drink water out of and bam, friendship."
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble comes through the door in his blanket, shuts it behind him - the door, not the blanket - and proceeds into the kitchen for a glass of water of his very own.

"It's a little more complicated with me."
pandion: (pearls)
Author: pandion
"How come?"
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"'Cause the other day I accidentally insulted him and he accidentally scared me, and now I'm trying to work through that."
pandion: (Default)
Author: pandion
"Oh. You were scared?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"Yeah. Scared doesn't usually look like scared, on me."
pandion: (brow)
Author: pandion
"That and you were a pigeon."
aeskhyne: (④ without any plans)
Author: aeskhyne
"You can't see scared on pigeons?"
pandion: (lock)
Author: pandion
"Nnnnot really."
aeskhyne: (⑤ okay boys)
Author: aeskhyne
"I can. I mean, now that I've been one. I wasn't born with a mystical connection to pigeons or anything."
pandion: (do tell)
Author: pandion
"The Amazing Pigeon-Boy!" suggests Andi.
aeskhyne: (① loves to light the fuse)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble cracks up.
pandion: (Default)
Author: pandion
"It was super-dark too, anyway."
aeskhyne: (③ smile on my face)
Author: aeskhyne
"True."
pandion: (pearls)
Author: pandion
"I thought he was really polite, what scared you?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"It's not about how polite he was. It's just - the whole thing set me off."
pandion: (checking)
Author: pandion
"Yeah, obviously, what about it?"
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"If I knew, I might tell you."
pandion: (pearls)
Author: pandion
"Huh."
aeskhyne: (⑦ i'll make you see)
Author: aeskhyne
He shrugs.
pandion: (brow)
Author: pandion
"So you're trying to avoid getting set off again without knowing how the heck the setting-off works?"
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"Not... exactly. I know some stuff, and I'm working on what I know. It's just not all stuff that's easy to explain. And it's mostly not about what he does so much as it's about how I feel about him."
pandion: (pearls)
Author: pandion
"Why, how do you feel about him?"
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble thinks about this question.

"...It's complicated," he says finally.
pandion: (brow)
Author: pandion
"So you don't wanna tell me?" says Andi.
aeskhyne: (⑩ i'll just play along)
Author: aeskhyne
"I don't wanna get into it right now. If you're still curious tomorrow morning you can ask me again."
pandion: (Default)
Author: pandion
"I'll probably forget. Whatever." Andi finishes her water and puts her glass in the sink.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
"G'night."
pandion: (thought)
Author: pandion
"Night." Andi heads back upstairs.
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
Trouble also finishes his water, and he and his blanket head back into the garage.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
Ax, predictably, is still there.
aeskhyne: (⑥ don't know what I want)
Author: aeskhyne
Yep.

"I think I'm gonna go to sleep," says Trouble. "I'm sorry I insulted you."
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
<Sleep well,> says Ax, after a silence that might be surprised.
aeskhyne: (⑧ nightly in the attic)
Author: aeskhyne
"G'night."

Off he goes, snuggling his blanket.
morphbox: (Default)
Author: morphbox
Ax remains in the garage under glow-in-the-dark stars.