i might as well be the man on the moon

[truthwright]

Their Isabella having just gone to welcome a new Bell into the peal, Kas and Petaal snuggle up together and take a nap. They'll want to be well rested for the party.

When they wake up, she still isn't back.

[Jane?]

No response.

Kas teleports down to the Janepoint, Petaal wrapped snake-shaped around his shoulders.

The display reads: error 7788: lycanthropy

"...So that's new," he says.

"No shit," says Petaal. "Now what?"

He shrugs. She coils tighter.

"Hang around and wait, I guess."

Comments

[carillons]

"I like octopuses more," she says. "Because they squish up."

[alicornucopia]

"They do! They can get through really tiny spaces."

[carillons]

"I saw!" she says. "It's coooool."

[alicornucopia]

"The next time we come to a saltwater swim tank maybe Kalavar can try." It won't make any difference to the inhabitants of the tank whether Kalavar is an octopus or a shrimp or a shark; daemon is daemon, exactly the same threat level as attached person and less edible due to their habit of disappearing.

[carillons]

"Squishy!" says Kalavar, twining her green-gold tentacles in Helen's hair.

[alicornucopia]

"Yep!"

Next is a tiny cuttlefish, its little beard of tentacles constantly flexing.

[carillons]

"Wiggly!" says Helen, thoroughly charmed.

[alicornucopia]

"Yep! This is related to the octopus. They're both molluscs."

[carillons]

"Does this one squish too?"

[alicornucopia]

"Not as much," says Ranata. "A little, though, it still doesn't have any bones."

[carillons]

"What makes it less squishy, then?"

[alicornucopia]

"This sign says it has something a little like a shell inside of it. It's called a cuttlebone, but it's not really a bone." Ranata picks her up for a better look at the sign.

[carillons]

Helen oohs at the sign and reads it carefully. It contains knowledge about the squishiness of cuttlefish!

[alicornucopia]

It does!

This section also contains small squids.

[carillons]

Small squids.

Small squids.

SMALL SQUIDS.

Helen might just want to stare at the small squids forever.

[alicornucopia]

Ranata will let her observe small squids for a good long time, certainly.

[truthwright]

Helen being delighted by creatures is adorable.

[carillons]

She is definitely just going to keep staring until she gets hungry.

But she does, in fact, get hungry.

"Can we have lunch now?"

[alicornucopia]

"Of course."

The aquarium has a cafeteria, with tables oriented around a koi pond. (You are not supposed to feed the koi, but daemons may join them.)

[carillons]

Kalavar turns into a tiny sea serpent with brilliant turqoise scales and a dragonish head, and she swims around with the pretty pretty koi.

[alicornucopia]

Meanwhile, humans eat food! It is adequate cafeteria food.

[carillons]

Om nom.

"What other creatures are there to see?" wonders Helen. "Are there more squishy ones?"

[alicornucopia]

Nothing quite as squishy, but:

sea cucumbers!

[carillons]

Ooooooh.

"They're lumpy," she giggles.

[alicornucopia]

"Yup!"

And there are many kinds.