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

[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.

[aeskhyne]

"She's... had a really shitty week," he says. "And being a Yeerk alone in a bowl is uncomfortable."

[pandion]

"Oh. Well, soon she'll be a duck, I guess."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah."

He sighs and pets the slug.

[palmofyourhand]

"If this were anyone else I'd be muttering about Stockholm," says Ethan, "but you, no, I genuinely believe you've made friends with your brain parasite. Congratulations."

[pandion]

"Stockholm? Isn't that a city?"

[palmofyourhand]

"Stockholm Syndrome. No?"

[pandion]

"Sounds vaguely familiar but I don't know what it is."

[palmofyourhand]

"It's when kidnapped people and hostages and so forth become unnaturally sympathetic with their captors."

[pandion]

"That's weird. I hope Dad doesn't have that."

[palmofyourhand]

"I don't think it's universal."

[pandion]

Andi watches Trouble pet the Yeerk, thoughtful.

[instar]

Eventually Bella appears, and takes the blue box out of her backpack, where it has been wrapped in a towel with a pair of swim goggles inside a plastic bag. "Last-minute objections, comments?" she inquires of the group.

[palmofyourhand]

"None whatsoever," says Ethan.

[instar]

Bella puts the box in the bowl.

[aeskhyne]

Recalling Elfangor, Trouble touches the top of the box. Aspret swims up to the side and flattens herself against it.

"I think it worked," says Trouble. He picks up the box and hands it back to Bella.

[instar]

Bella wraps it up again and takes it away.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble pets Aspret some more. Then he leans down to let her slurp back into his ear.

[instar]

Bella is back after about the same duration of time. She notes the empty bowl, then picks it up and carries it up the stairs to dump out and wash.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble... sits. Quietly. It's no longer completely obvious who's in control; he doesn't look excessively nervous, but neither is he as relaxed as usual.

[instar]

"Any other Animorphs business for tonight?"