the capture

[instar]

Bella is, uncharacteristically, home alone; Andi is over at Robin's, and Renée is visiting a friend of hers in the hospital, though she could be home relatively soon depending on how much the two get caught up in conversation.

Bella is memorizing the map of Phoenix.

Comments

[aeskhyne]

"Yes," says Aspret. "Or... or I could just - stay. But we're not sure if you'd be okay with that. And," she looks down at Trouble's hands clasped in his lap, "I don't want - I mean - I'm afraid of other Yeerks, now. I want to be around them as little as possible."

[morphbox]

<Hmmm,> says Bella to the general audience, and, privately only to Trouble-and-Aspret (she's not sure if it's even possible to target only one of them, right now) <Tuck his hair behind his ear if the idea is that you don't want to get anywhere near his stepfather but he's willing to go back for final helpings if it diffuses suspicion when he vanishes.>

[aeskhyne]

Aspret ducks Trouble's head and pushes his hair back on both sides, rendering it at least temporarily captive behind his ears.

[morphbox]

Bella's tail twitches, but she gets it under control again.

<If Reggie puts him in the hospital again there's no selling the 'you ran away in him' story,> she points out privately.

[aeskhyne]

Aspret shivers, and bites Trouble's lip, and looks up nervously at Bella.

[morphbox]

<Although I suppose they don't seem to intend to starve you and it would be harder to transport him if he were hospitalized. I don't like the idea of betting on it.>

[pandion]

"Where would you unobtrusively store a Yeerk?" Andi asks. "I mean, the basement's super temporary, and Trouble should probably not be breaking into our house at night to get her. We have, like, Neighborhood Watch."

[aeskhyne]

"I could just stay," Aspret murmurs. "I can - withdraw, and let my host control her own body and experience her own sensations. It... might be more comfortable than spending several days in a bowl."

[pandion]

"Whoa, you can do that?"

[morphbox]

<Interesting.>

[aeskhyne]

"It's not very common," says Aspret. "For obvious reasons. But it's not difficult."

[morphbox]

<Can you communicate with Trouble while doing that?> asks Bella. <If so, and if he confirms after you go out briefly to let us check, this sounds like the safest option secrecy-wise.>

[aeskhyne]

She nods hesitantly.

[morphbox]

<He'll be able to maintain cover if something unexpected happens, take immediate advantage of access to ducks, etcetera. But,> Bella says, <I don't think you should stay longer than it takes to make the disappearance look good. And Trouble, for hiding out, you'll probably want a morph that can get into and out of private places for demorphing, remorphing, and sleeping, with or without someone's help. Does anyone else have input before Aspret goes out again to let Trouble confirm everything she's said and I go fetch the box?>

[palmofyourhand]

Ethan shrugs. "Not me."

[hold_infinity]

Robin shakes her head.

[pandion]

"So - Aspret leaves, Trouble tells us if she was making stuff up, you bring the box, Aspret touches it, we trust her not to - I don't know, acquire Trouble and make off in his likeness? - for the next few days and in that time he finds her a duck and she flies away and Trouble hides?"

[aeskhyne]

Aspret nods.

[pandion]

"And somewhere in there she tells us stuff about Yeerks? To help get Dad's one out?"

[aeskhyne]

"I've already shared a lot of things with Trouble," she murmurs.

[pandion]

"Yeah, I don't have input," shrugs Andi.

[morphbox]

<All right. Out you get.>

[aeskhyne]

Aspret leans Trouble's head down over the bowl and wriggles out into it.

Trouble's whole body relaxes. He rubs his ear, then trails his hand in the water for Aspret to touch.

[instar]

Bella demorphs. "I'll be back in about fifteen minutes," she says, and she goes up the stairs.

[pandion]

"Why are you petting it? Her?" Andi asks Trouble.