the ocean

[instar]

Five pigeons, one with a beetle glued to her foot, fly to Seattle and find the aquarium and the orca tanks.

There is one with just one orca in it.

Five pigeons land on the glass edge of the tank.

Comments

[palmofyourhand]

"I wonder why that is," says Ethan.

[hold_infinity]

"Me too," says Robin, thoughtfully.

[morphbox]

"I do not know. Ooooooh. No. Knnnnnnow."

[hold_infinity]

"Yeah, well, I plan to find out."

[instar]

"Have you got a way to do that in mind?"

[hold_infinity]

"More or less. I mean, I've done all this research on animals, but I haven't really done any on humans yet."

[instar]

"I look forward to hearing what you find out. Okay. Ax, is there anything you know that we are likely to need to learn in the next twenty-four hours?"

[morphbox]

<I cannot think of anything else that seems urgent, Princess Bella.>

[instar]

"Okay. Do you need anything to be comfy in the garage that doesn't involve knocking down a wall?"

[morphbox]

"No. Oooooh."

[instar]

"Okay. Get some sleep. It's probably safest if you don't come into the main house in Andalite form at all - we don't expect guests yet, but might be surprised."

[morphbox]

Off goes Ax.

[hold_infinity]

And to bed go Ethan and Robin, since that seems to be the next logical order of business.

[instar]

The house is a little crowded; the twins wind up sharing Charlie's bed to let him and Ethan have their bunks and Robin have the air mattress in the master bedroom. (The trouble with the couch is it's nowhere near Andi's protective light-sleeperhood.)

[aeskhyne]

The next morning, whoever is first to venture downstairs will find Trouble in the kitchen, setting up to make breakfast.

[pandion]

Andi! Andi is first up.

"Hi," she says. "Where'd you disappear to?"

[aeskhyne]

"I slept outside," he says. "Comfier that way. Will people like it if I make French toast, you think?"

[pandion]

"French toast sounds good to me. How's outside comfy?"

[aeskhyne]

"Psychologically," he says. "When are Bella and your dad gonna be up, you think?"

[pandion]

"In like... half an hour?" guesses Andi, tracing a vague swirl on the table. "Maybe a little longer."

[aeskhyne]

"Mm, I better not start yet, then."

[pandion]

"Okay. Psychologically comfy how?"

[aeskhyne]

"...Sometimes I get kind of spooked," he says, "and it's just easier not to be around whoever spooked me until I calm down."

[pandion]

"Ax spooked you because he didn't want to be an 'also' or whatever you said with Aspret?"

[aeskhyne]

"Kind of. It's complicated." He sits down at the kitchen table. "I kind of get where he was going with that, but I don't think I can make myself talk that way - I don't want to - and I wasn't sure which way anybody was gonna swing if I pushed it, except that Ethan predictably doesn't give a damn, and it was so much easier to just bail on the whole conversation. I do that sometimes." He quirks a smile. "Maybe you've noticed."