the zoo

[instar]

There is one visit during the day from a lady down the street who has made the girls a casserole, on the grounds that it can be hard to remember to eat when bereaved. Bella thanks her sincerely, sniffles a little, and sends her on her way. The casserole is shared around for lunch. Bella asks Ax what Andalites eat, and when she finds out, she locates a bag of grass clippings in the backyard that he pronounces acceptable. She also asks him how he eats them. By way of illustration, he steps both forehooves into the bag of clippings.

Night falls.

They can all go to the Seattle zoo and acquire everything they can get their hands on.

Comments

[aeskhyne]

"No, that part I get," he says. "I guess what I mean is - I don't understand it. I could guess, but that's not the same thing."

[morphbox]

<What else is there to explain?>

[aeskhyne]

"I don't know, maybe nothing," says Trouble. "Maybe the answer really is that you just hate Yeerks so much that you can't stand hearing that one time one of them noticed the same obvious fact that you noticed. In which case I'm gonna have a hard time being sorry about it. But I still want to try."

[morphbox]

Ax's feet shuffle. <When Andi was in here adding the glowing shapes to the ceiling, she mentioned that one of Princess Bella's talents is picking apart her feelings in arbitrary detail. That is not a talent I have.>

[aeskhyne]

"Sure, me neither," says Trouble. "The stars are a cute idea."

[morphbox]

<It was very kind of her. It helps a little.>

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah," says Trouble. He tips his head back to look at them.

[morphbox]

<So, I don't know if I can satisfy your curiosity.>

[aeskhyne]

"Mm, 'curiosity' might not be the word," he says. "But okay."

[morphbox]

<Where does that leave us?>

[aeskhyne]

"Dunno," he says. "Are you gonna try eating breakfast with us again tomorrow?"

[morphbox]

More hoof-shuffly sounds. <I do not know.>

[aeskhyne]

"I could bring you some out here if you'd rather," he offers.

[morphbox]

<That would probably lead to more... dignified results, although I do not know how much more.>

[aeskhyne]

"Probably," Trouble agrees. "Up to you."

[morphbox]

<Will it be the French toast again?>

[aeskhyne]

"Probably not," he says. "There's not much more bread. I might do pancakes. Or something with bacon."

[morphbox]

<I do not know what those things are, but suspect it will be pleasant to find out.>

[aeskhyne]

"I bet you're right!"

[morphbox]

<We are no longer talking about what you originally wished to talk about,> Ax observes.

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah. But I'm still doing what I came here for."

[morphbox]

<I don't understand.>

[aeskhyne]

"Well... back to the other day," he says. "When you said you didn't want to be compared to Yeerks. I wasn't really hearing that the way you meant it. I mean, I did, I understood the words and what you were talking about, but I had a whole different reaction to it that wasn't about you or what you were saying so much as it was about... other stuff that's happened in my life. And what I'm trying to do is change that reaction, so if you tell me you don't want me to do something I can listen instead of getting scared and running away. Finding other ways to be nice to you helps with that. I don't know why, but it does."

[morphbox]

<...Ah.>

[aeskhyne]

Trouble shrugs.