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

[morphbox]

Ax finishes whatever bowing-related formality he has been doing and swishes his tail thoughtfully. <May I acquire you all and attempt a Frolis-maneuver combination morph?>

[instar]

"Can you take into account the fact that me, Andi, and Charlie are all related and not wind up looking much more like us than like any of the others?"

[morphbox]

<I can try.> He holds out his hands.

[pandion]

Swans touch his left hand.

[hold_infinity]

Robin goes for his right. Likewise Trouble; likewise Ethan.

[morphbox]

Ax acquires them, one at a time.

He closes his main eyes for a moment, thoughtful.

[instar]

"Humans prefer to wear clothes and be only around clothed humans, as a general rule," Bella says when she comes out of her trance. "We didn't think to bring any spare clothes, and we won't be able to check over your combined morph very well in this dim light anyway. Let's see if we can catch you a sleeping seagull, or at least an insect, and then you can fly home with us."

[morphbox]

<I have a bird morph, but it is not native to this planet.>

[instar]

"What's it look like?"

[morphbox]

<Six wings, long sharp beak. Mine is dark magenta.>

[instar]

"It's dark enough that you probably wouldn't be seen, but let's see if we can get everybody a seagull to share anyway."

[morphbox]

<Yes, Princess Bella. What does a seagull look like?>

[pandion]

"Seagulls have two wings and they're white and gray with black parts. Yellow beaks, yellow feet. Bella, are you going to get the most swelled head of all time?"

[instar]

"Maybe."

[hold_infinity]

"Two yellow feet," Robin clarifies. "On seagulls. Two legs, two wings."

[aeskhyne]

Humming under his breath, Trouble looks for seagulls.

[morphbox]

Ax also starts looking for seagulls. <Will it be a great problem if I harm a seagull in order to catch it?>

[instar]

"No," says Bella, investigating possible seagull hiding places. "Seagulls are commonplace and not well-liked and it wouldn't be likely for anyone to get suspicious about an injured one."

[aeskhyne]

"Well, I think they're cute," says Trouble. "But I won't mind if you hurt one."

[instar]

"Yes, not-hurting seagulls is the ideal, but it's not worth letting one get away if the only way to catch it is to clobber it out of the air."

[morphbox]

<Understood.>

[palmofyourhand]

"Got one!" says Ethan.

[instar]

"Awesome."

Everybody converges on Ethan to see if he got a nice seagull.

[palmofyourhand]

It's a seagull. It's sleeping. Thoroughly sleeping, since he's acquiring it, and when he's done he passes it off to Robin.

[hold_infinity]

Who holds it out for everyone.