starlogs | [open] you know that i was hoping

WHO: Ax and whoever, Ax and Vic-Nik
WHERE: Shopping center, atrium, nav
WHEN: Now I guess? Before the event log
WHAT: Ax wanders around being a weirdo, now in human and blue centaur flavors
WARNINGS: In one of the prompts Victor attempts to teach Ax to bake which is a warning in itself

[ the shopping center (human) ]

[He has been to the human mall before, but it wasn't anything like this. The mall in California was a single sprawling floor, and equipped with only what technological advancements human society could allow. Even with open relations with Andalites after the war, human science hadn't progressed enough to have much impact on the average mall.

They had still had provided sensory overload as they were. The one on the Eluvio is something else entirely.

It has four floors. He had no idea that this much variety of things to sell existed in the universe, let alone that there was enough to populate an entire four-story mall and still leave room for the rest of the ship's operations. There is enough artificial clothing to satisfy even Rachel.

But what is important are the restaurants. There is so much food. Food Ax has never seen before. Cuisine from all over the universe, not just from Earth. And he can't afford any of it because he hasn't been going to work.

[ the atrium, night (andalite) ]

[The living quarters seem small even by human standards. To him, whose species naturally lives in the open air, they're nothing short of oppressive.

He takes to sleeping in the atrium at night, as out of sight as he can, which is territory so familiar so as to almost be disturbing. While there are still people around at that hour, they're much less populous than during the day, and in the dark he can avoid them with relative ease. He can graze in peace and even meditate, perform some of his daily rituals, without worrying about interruption.
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However, the atrium's space is limited, and there are still very few places to hide. The dark is one thing, but it's difficult for him to blend in if someone gets close enough. He's near-impossible to sneak up on, but that doesn't keep people from seeing him. He'll run away if he sees someone coming, but as fast as he is there aren't a whole lot of places to run. It shouldn't be too difficult to corner him.

If someone does manage to catch him by surprise... they'll find his tail-blade at their throat in as much time as it takes to blink. Overkill? Sure. But that paranoia is the entire reason he's still alive.]

[ control and nav, day (various) ]

[So he's not allowed inside. That's fine. Irritating, but fine. If there's one thing he's gained from being an Animorph, it's the knowledge that nothing can really keep him out if he tries hard and believes in himself. And insects exist even on a controlled environment like this.

Is this a stupid idea? Probably. Rachel would be proud. But Ax doesn't have time to waste on this ship, and learning how the controls work might be the best shot he has at getting back where he's supposed to be. Unfortunately... there aren't a whole lot of places to morph privately. He'll just have to use his best judgment about the coast being clear.

If encountered as a human, he'll be skulking around just around the outside of the perimeter, trying to case the best place for him to morph in seclusion and enter the upper level from. He'll have to go to Andalite to do so, though, which would be enough of a shock in the middle of a hallway to anyone. Or, if he's caught mid-morph, he'll be a frankly horrifying, two-foot-tall hybrid between blue alien centaur and common housefly. Proboscis and compound eyes and blue fur and all. Pleasant!]

[ outside victor's quarters (closed to victor) ]

[He has been waiting for this day.

Ever since he and Victor agreed to do this he's been practically vibrating with excitement waiting for the time to come. From now on, he will be able to make delicious food for himself in perpetuity. No more trying to find people willing to pay for him. No more waiting even when he manages so. He can just make it himself and he will be able to eat it forever and ever. Maybe he really is dead. Maybe this is the kind of idyllic post-death nonlife he has read about in human books.

He has come in human form, as he is still trying to convince Victor he is actually a perfectly normal human named Phillip. He is confident he can be convincing. After all, he has had a lot of practice.

And so, he knocks. {That's the right thing to do, right? How much is enough? Better to just knock incessantly until Victor opens, obviously.)]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( The difficulty in dealing with someone who is fairly confident and also not used to a life of extreme violence is that he can allow himself to roll with the oddities, not needing to be prepared or resigned to ultra violence intruding on his life at any given moment. In a context like this, he's also aware of and observing the person sharing his space, making sure to position himself so he isn't between Aximili and the door.

He doesn't know if he's seeing something that isn't there, but he's not out to entrap anyone in uncomfortable situations. Today? He's making cinnamon buns. While Ax chases his own thoughts and suspicions, Victor laughs, a light, short lived sound as he nods and moves past Ax to pick up the mixing bowl. He likewise grabs up the butter, tossing it unceremoniously into the bowl. )

Right, right! It's all chemistry. Which makes baking what? Kind of like a science experiment?

( For whatever the reason, this conceptualization seems to grab his imagination. He grins, half turning Ax's way with visible (human) excitement. )

A cinnamon bun experiment!

( He offers the bowl to Ax, inviting him to hold it. )

I'll take the role of Mad Scientist if you'll take the role of lab assistant.

[Now an acceptable distance from the door, Ax takes the bowl warily and looks between it and Victor for a few seconds.

He has learned simply not to comment on human turns of phrase that he doesn't understand, as their explanations will likely make no sense anyway. So he doesn't bother asking what a mad scientist is. He does, however, stick a finger into the mixing bowl--which at the moment contains only butter--and then put it into his mouth.

He seems to be somberly, carefully considering the taste.]

It's coming along nicely.

( Humanity confuses itself enough with their idioms; one doesn't need to be from off-planet to be alien in another culture. He turns to measure out the sugar, turning back around to find...

... Ax licking butter fingers. On the one hand, Victor isn't afraid of germs. On the other hand, he's not sure he'd say butter alone is going along to pretty much anywhere other than being a dairy product. Ha... )

Since it's just the butter, that's good to hear.

( He holds up the measuring cup of sugar, gesturing for Ax to bring at least the bowl closer. )

We need to mix this in with the butter.

Of course. [He says, like assessing the quality of the butter was just part of the process.

He holds the bowl out awkwardly for Victor to pour the sugar into, watching intently.

This entire encounter is just going to be an exercise in Ax watching intently while Victor does the actual baking.]

( Victor doesn't miss a beat in pouring the sugar in the bowl, though when he picks up the spoon he quirks up an eyebrow. )

Did you feel up to doing the hand mixing?

( He holds up the wooden (maybe) spoon, making a swirling gesture as if he's stirring something in the air held in an invisible bowl being cradled in his hand. He is excellent at these charade shenanigans.

Probably. )

[If it's possible for Ax to get any more bug eyed, he does right now.]

Hand mixing? Icks. What is that?

[Also why does baking take so long.]

( Ax is the worst kind of instant gratification hounds. He gestures for Ax to come closer, reaching out to take the bowl back from him. )

It's the same idea as stirring. Combining ingredients until they're smooth?

( He'll actually demonstrate, quirking an eyebrow to see if Ax is following along. This... is both going to be a lot more amusing and a lot weirder than he was expecting. )

[open] you know that i was hoping

i'm laughing this is the most accurate, meanwhile victor just goes full dork

they need their own sitcom tbh

oh no IM LAUGHING

he is doing his best

the original butterfingers

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