the animorphs

[instar]

Renée is gone in the morning, a pot of maple oatmeal for the girls and Trouble cooling on the stove and a note on the fridge, she's going to be gone all day on a day trip to Tucson with her friends.

Andi wakes up first. Bella's not far behind.

Comments

[instar]

"That's up to you. I could really use help. I'll do without it, if I have to."

[hold_infinity]

She glances up at Ethan.

"Look," she says, turning back to Bella, "I don't want to think of this as your project that I'm just helping out on. We were all there too. If there's responsibility to go around, I have as much of it as you do. Even if I didn't stay for the show."

[instar]

"Sorry."

[hold_infinity]

"I mean, I sort of get it. If I didn't think I could get any help, I'd be thinking like that too. But we are all in this together, all right? Even Ethan, God help us." She pats him fondly on the knee.

[pandion]

"Bella's all introverted and doesn't understand how group projects work," Andi says, "also generally despairs of other people being useful at important things."

[instar]

"That's an exaggeration."

[palmofyourhand]

"From what I've seen, not much of one."

[instar]

"Despair is too strong a word," insists Bella.

[palmofyourhand]

"Is it?"

[instar]

"Yes, for it to have been despair I'd have to currently be experiencing revelatory astonishment, not pleasant surprise." She shrugs. "The fact remains that I am a very self-centered person, and I expect things of myself that I wouldn't dream of demanding from anyone else, so I hope you'll all forgive the occasional slip of phrasing when I start talking about plans."

[palmofyourhand]

"Sure," says Ethan. "What matters to me isn't the language, it's the facts. I want to start hearing more about all these no doubt fascinating plans and ideas you keep scribbling down."

[hold_infinity]

"That too," says Robin.

[instar]

"A lot of what I'm writing isn't even plans. There are plans in there, but I'm doing a lot of - psychological groundwork. I'm going to have to be on, I can't live with myself if I slack off more than I have to for long-term maintenance purposes. Not with these stakes and these tools. I'm trying to figure out how not to burn out."

[hold_infinity]

"...Good question," says Robin.

[palmofyourhand]

Ethan just shrugs.

[instar]

"I don't think I can apply anything I'm coming up with to other people," Bella says apologetically.

[hold_infinity]

"Oh well. I'll manage."

[instar]

"If you need help then of course you should ask."

[hold_infinity]

She looks up at Ethan again. "Oh, I will."

[pandion]

"You're gonna try not to burn me out, too, right, Bella?"

[instar]

"Yes. And I know I need a wider margin of safety on you than I do on me."

[hold_infinity]

"Let's try not to burn anyone out," says Robin.

[palmofyourhand]

"I'm not sure burning out Trouble is even possible," muses Ethan, "but I'm also sure I don't want to find out at close range."

[instar]

"Agreed on both counts."

[palmofyourhand]

He pets the still-apparently-sleeping Trouble.