"How, how, HOW do you eat without a mouth?" [open]

[mynameisax.livejournal.com]

Squish. Squelch, squish.

The lack of movement was beginning to get to him. Ax sighed and shifted his weight, causing his serving of the mess hall's food to ooze unpleasantly under his hooves. It was too much like being sick, too much like eating those liquid grass rations kept aboard Andalite ships for those too sick or injured to stand up and graze properly.

There was the grass around the Garibah tree of course, but he wanted to read up more about the tending of that tree and its grass before he even tried that. The last thing he wanted to do was damage the tree. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Stacy had Andalite literature in the Media Center, and Ax had some free time after he finished eating. He hoped that they'd be able to figure a way off of Stacy sooner rather than later, but in the mean time, the Garibah needed care-taking.

Squish.

Ugh.

Comments

[mynameisax.livejournal.com]

< You recognize me as Phillip? > Ax asked, startled. Had Allen been talking to Dox or something? < Yes, this is my natural form. I am not a demon, I'm an alien. My species is called Andalites. >

[twelvevoltman.livejournal.com]

"Well you introduced yourself to the group, I was around for that. Maybe you just didn't notice me."

OR MAYBE THERE ARE YOUNG ADULT SCIFI BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT YOUR EXPLOITS, AX. MAYBE.

"Awesome. I've never met an alien that I knew was an alien before, unless you could people from alternate universes. Which you might still be, come to think of it. Why are you standing in food?"

[mynameisax.livejournal.com]

Ax thought for a moment. < Ah, so I did. Congratulations, you are apparently the only one who remembers. >

If there is a book series, it must be found and hidden. If only so that no one could blackmail Ax with his secret thoughts about Estrid.

Ax gestured down at his hooves and the tray. < Andalites graze by crushing grass beneath us as we run and absorbing the nutrients. That is not a readily available option on this ship. > He shook his head. < If you are as famous as you implied that you were to Dox, we are from different universes. I hadn't heard of you before I encountered you here. >

[twelvevoltman.livejournal.com]

"If I ever existed in your universe, I am probably either dead or permanently missing from earth. My current existence is highly improbable. And I can say with reasonable certainty there are no yeerks on my version of Earth."

Hey, she sounds like a hot ticket. Fur like sapphires, hooves like densely packed keratin . . .

Allen leans over to get a look at Ax's hooves. "Hey, that's novel. Do you have to spend a lot of time grazing to absorb enough nutrition?"

[mynameisax.livejournal.com]

That was probably a good thing. Ax didn't want to think about a Yeerk with Allen's intelligence under its control.

She could also probably talk science with Brainy. Ax had given her a Cinnabon for her trip back to the Andalite home world. That was love.

< It does take some time, but nothing unreasonable. I much prefer it to the Mess Hall. >

[twelvevoltman.livejournal.com]

The yeerk would be too busy fending off Allen's immune-system-boosting nanobots to figure out the mechanical portions of his brain. It would be lasered to goo without ever having gotten past his first layer of security. Take heart!

"I hear ya. I've never eaten so many hot dogs without making myself sick as I have since I got here."

Seriously, that's ALL he eats these days. Hot dogs and cupcakes. And beer.

[mynameisax.livejournal.com]

If only most sentient species came equipped with immune-system-boosting nanobots.

Ax gave Allen a bewildered look. < Where are you getting hot dogs? Is there a mall food court on this ship? >

[twelvevoltman.livejournal.com]

He's working on it.

Allen leans in, looking sneaky. "Don't go telling everyone and their grandma, but the food in the Sensorium tastes like real food. I took some out with me and it turned into that," he points to Ax's floor-food, "But inside? Stacy makes it real convincing."

[mynameisax.livejournal.com]

Just as long as they don't double as mind-control nanobots.

Ax looked positively delighted by the news.

< Can she duplicate Cinnabon? > he asked eagerly, leaning forward as well, even though he was using thought-speak and didn't need to.

[twelvevoltman.livejournal.com]

Whaaa? Ax, you are paranoid and made of - okay yeah that would pretty much suck. Let's avoid those kinds of nanobots.

"Probably. Wanna find out?" Allen jerks his thumb towards the door of the cafeteria. "Even if it's not exact, it's gotta be a hell of a lot better than this slop."

[mynameisax.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Allen should smash those nanobots with hammers. Tiny hammers.

< Yes, it must be, > Ax said, stooping to pick up the remains of his tray and looking around for a place to dispose of it. A hole helpfully opened in the wall at his elbow, and after a moment of dubious eying, he dropped his tray inside. < Let's find out. >