theweakhavepurpose | Hadriel Inbox

No, I've never seen anything like her before. She's probably native to this planet.

[she continues cooing gently]

No fruit, no grass, no meat? What else is there? [she sighs and looks thoughtful] What was nearby when you found her?

Blood? I dunno. Maybe she's a vampire deer.

[It's not trying to chomp her fingers, so that's a start anyway.]

There were some leafy plants that kind of look like pumpkins, but she won't eat those either. Well.. she will if I mush them up and then pry her mouth open and put them on her tongue. Then she'll chew and swallow them. But not if I just offer it to her.

I'm not going to feed this thing like a baby bird.

[a bit dubiously] Maybe? I wouldn't put it past the aliens to put us on a planet with cute little vampire deer. But she shouldn't be interested in our blood, we're not from around here.

[no, not yet. not that she could, Tinya would just phase her fingers away]

You might have to? You did take her in. I guess you could always try to find a herd of more of her kind and see if they'd accept her, but if they don't? Then what?

Yeah I'm not sure. I was only going to keep her until she was old enough to fend for herself, maybe a few weeks or so. Not forever.

[The deputy with a bleeding heart for small animals.]

Maybe it needs to be sweeter, mix everything with sugar. I'm not sure. But she's been doing fine so far. Other than standing on that chair yelling in the middle of the night.

She's awfully cute. You could do worse as far as pets go.

[it's absolutely precious, not that she'd say so out loud]

Yelling? [she giggles] She yells?

Like a goat or a sheep. Standing there making loud, annoying noises until I wake up and give her more food that she won't eat but wants to make a mess with.

[It's like having a toddler only furrier.]

I can't keep her, someone might try and eat her when she's bigger.

[she's trying to not giggle, but it's hard!] Oh no, really? That sounds like a disaster!

[and cuter]

People actually eat these little guys? That's awful!

Yeah she's a menace.

[He reaches out and flicks one of her oversized ears, getting an angry bleat in reply.]

I wouldn't be surprised. It's a deer isn't it? People eat deer.

[Not him obviously, but someone might.]

[cooing] An adorable menace.

[and she giggles at the display.

and sounds horrified] They don't where I come from, but . . . I guess other Terrans might. Still, they're so cute, killing one would be cruel.

Right, everyone is a vegetarian in your world right?

In my world there's basically just me. And that's only because I think I'll puke if I have to see chunks of bloody meat ever again.

[He shudders, even thinking about it is making him queasy.]

Lots of people hunt deer, they're cute when they're little. Then they get big and stupid and run in front of cars and cause accidents.

Yeah, they are.

...do I--do you want to explain why? You don't have to if you don't want to.

[she gives him a concerned look]

Oh. Well that's. Unfortunate? But they're animals, they can't exactly help themselves.

I had to cut up a whole hell of a lot of it. Even the smell might make me gag.

Not all of it was from animals either.

[He frowns.]

Least I don't have to do that here. And there's also no cars to hit these little guys so she won't become roadkill that I have to clean up. Right?

[He reaches down to pet her head, letting her chew on his sleeve.]

[sympathetically]

I know. I know you would. To keep her safe and fed.

[she offers a smile in return. it's shaky, but it's there]

Right. No cars. And in a fight between the mopeds and these deer, the deer would win. So no problem.

[she reaches down to pet it as well]

[The deer isn't exactly enjoying this, but it's allowing the petting so that's something of a victory.]

Yeah. There are some nice things about here versus back home.

Actually a lot of things minus the stuff fucking with our emotions.

[she'll take whatever victories she can get]

Yeah, I could really do without the whole sprocking with our emotions thing. And I wouldn't mind a few more entertainment options. But here's not the worst place I've ever been.

I've requested a movie theater and a Starbucks but I'm not holding my breath that we get either.

A movie theater with real, old movies would be great. There are so many old movies I've seen as holos, but to see them as they were meant to be shown? On a big screen with popcorn and soda and sugary treats? That would be amazing.

Oh there's no movies in the future? Or are they all streaming so you can watch them in your own home?

I'm not sure if that's better, popcorn from the microwave is shitty compared to what you get at the theater.

Everything's--I guess streaming's the best way to put it. And sure, it's possible to get big holo screens, but nothing like what I've heard the old movie theaters had.

I wouldn't know, I've never had popcorn from either.

Have you had popcorn at all?

Remember the bonfire we had? Fingon showed me how to make it with a pan, we could make some. You gotta have popcorn.

No, I haven't. I've smelled it before, being made by street vendors on Terra, but mother always pulled me away from [she makes air quotes] frivolous pursuits.

He did? We can? Let's go for it!

How is popcorn a frivolous pursuit? It's food. What can you only eat precisely portioned meals that obey the food pyramid?

Right now?

[He hesitates, and then.. well...]

I guess we're not doing anything else huh?

Yes. Mother was very intent on me receiving proper nutrition and staying fit.

Yeah!

[she looks at him expectantly]

No, we're not. So let's go!

Wow. She sounds like a nightmare the more you tell me about her.

We need a fire. I guess we can start one somewhere outside, it's not like the jungle will catch since it's so wet.

[she sighs] Mother was . . . she made the "mistake" of marrying young. Instead of marrying the high society Bgztlian her parents wanted her to marry, she eloped with a Terran and had a child. Me. [a pause] The marriage didn't last, but [a forced laugh] it's not like she could get rid of the kid, right?

Yeah, that's true. Will we have enough dry wood?

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