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

[morphbox]

<The fact that he's numbered suggests that there are other Yeerk authorities running around. Even if you don't have any reason to like Visser Three in particular, he's not the only person you could betray us to if we gave you freedom of movement and the ability to thoughtspeak.>

[aeskhyne]

"He's in charge of this—of the invasion of Earth, I mean," says Aspret. "There's no Yeerk I could talk to about, about you guys, that wouldn't lead me back to him eventually." She shivers. "Which is the last place I ever want to be. There are regulations against wastefully killing subordinates, but nobody dares to remind him about them anymore. I've heard rumours—" She bites Trouble's lip, then shakes his head, shivering again. "Some people try to get close to him, soak up the glory, stay on his good side. Not me. I'm done."

[morphbox]

<We'd still be running a risk,> Bella says, shifting her weight, rippling her tail. <Even getting the morphing box and then putting it back is a risk, and we'd have to catch you some kind of animal, too. Would you work for us?>

[aeskhyne]

Aspret huddles in the chair, wrapping Trouble's arms tightly around his stomach.

[morphbox]

Bella waits.

[aeskhyne]

"...Y...es..." she says tremblingly, and then shakes Trouble's head. "No! Not if I had to go anywhere near another Yeerk! Turn me into a, a bird, a migrating bird, I'll give you... everything I know that isn't something only I know, and I'll just fly away. Be a bird forever. I love birds..." She trails off with a sigh.

[morphbox]

<Intel is a form of helping,> Bella says mildly. <I take it you don't have any friends you want to give the same deal?>

[aeskhyne]

She shakes Trouble's head again. "N-no."

[morphbox]

<Do you have anything else to say before you leave and we talk amongst ourselves?> asks Bella.

Swish, swish goes her tail.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble's eyes track that tail as though magnetically attracted.

"...I'm talking to Trouble," she says nervously, "can we have a minute...?"

[morphbox]

<Does anyone think she's lying?> Bella inquires of the room idly.

[pandion]

Andi shakes her head mutely.

[palmofyourhand]

"Doubt it," says Ethan.

[morphbox]

<Go on.>

[aeskhyne]

Aspret goes back to twisting Trouble's hands together in his lap. She continues watching Bella's tail.

[morphbox]

Swish. Swish.

(Bella kinda likes having a tail.)

[aeskhyne]

"Y-you're scaring me," mumbles Aspret.

[morphbox]

Bella's tail stills.

[aeskhyne]

"Thank you," she says softly.

She huddles down a little smaller, and closes Trouble's eyes.

[morphbox]

Bella waits.

[aeskhyne]

Aspret sits quietly. Her body language is completely uncharacteristic for Trouble; he tends to sprawl out into available space, whereas Aspret seems to think that if she scrunches in tight enough she can perhaps spontaneously disappear and escape the scary people.

This does not happen.

Eventually, she opens her borrowed eyes.

"Trouble says," she relates quietly, "that probably the best way to make sure no one suspects you is for him to either keep me, or pretend to, for a few more days. My next feeding is tomorrow. If I go at an unpopular hour, no one will bother me. And if he stays away from all of you for a while before he disappears, or at least makes sure not to leave evidence that you're in contact, then when they start looking for us, they won't start with you. But I don't think they'll look very hard. I was assigned to this apparently worthless host as a punishment." (She glances up at Bella, then looks away.)

[morphbox]

<The pretending idea - there's no risk he'll be asked questions intended for you or required to physically produce you outside of the pool area? They consider you that inconsequential?>

[aeskhyne]

She nods. "In my previous host I was assigned to an important project, but I wasn't a critical member of the team. And I have no duties now."

[morphbox]

Bella is inclined to make a face, but the morph covers it up pretty well. <And he thinks he can unobtrusively store you, or get to a place where you're unobtrusively stored, before you need to feed.>

[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."