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[enflame]

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[enflame]

( ...he's in the middle of Netflix and Lizard when he gets this weird ass question. )

What? Why are you asking about turtles?

[lalliho]

[gasp!! This is so incriminating...]

Because. Answer the question.

[enflame]

( Thank God he can chew while sending telepathic messages. Also he barely remembers what a turtle is but that's fine. )

We don't have any turtles, let alone all of them. Why are you so interested?

( 'Because' isn't a good enough answer... )

[lalliho]

I'm learning about turtles. I never heard of them.

[Nothing overly interesting or nefarious...]

[enflame]

( That's honestly weirder. )

I've seen them in books and such. They're ugly little animals...with shells, I think. They're essentially big, walking rocks.

[lalliho]

[how!!]

I didn't get to see a good picture, just a weird one... That sounds kind of like some weird troll.

[enflame]

( If only he could telepathically shrug. )

Think of Lisko, except their torso is in a shell, and they have a short face. Sort of like that. ( At least that's what the turtles he vaguely remembers look like to him. )

[lalliho]

[………]

Lisko isn't that ugly...

[enflame]

Of course not. It's the differences that make it look strange.

( Lisko is sitting heavily on his chest at the minute, dozing off as they're being used as a tablet stand. Let him do some searching on the alien internet -- ah, this looks similar. Time to send him that visual. )

See what I mean?

[lalliho]

[Umm...]

I wish it had a tail.

[But it just looks like Lisko is wearing a rock costume? Why would you say this is ugly!!]

[enflame]

( Lizards aren't exactly beautiful to Emil, but that's His Lizard. )

They'd be better if they didn't have that hard shell. I don't even know if you could hold one. Wouldn't feel very pleasant.

( His size scale isnt very in tune with turtles...is it big, small, in between? A big, hard, ugly rock thing. Weird. )

I'll see what Lisko thinks. ( Time to nudge the napping lizard awake. They look up, used to waking up quickly and excitedly. Lisko observes the screen Emil turns towards them, blinking at their reptile cousin a few times before wapping the screen. Come out, friend!! )

I don't think they like it.

[lalliho]

[Cute... Why isn't he allowed to witness this sleepy angel not understand shit...]

We wouldn't get one anyway. I think it looks fine, though. Might be warmer than Lisko, too.

[enflame]

If you think of it like armor, it's a little better.

( A battle Lisko...the dude part of him is impressed, the dad part is Not About It.

His train of thought halts as Lisko attempts to press their head through the tablet screen. They want to say hello to this thing. )

Lisko, what are you doing? ( Oops, they came through his brain, not his mouth. Fuckin telepathy. )

[lalliho]

[Don't worry, Lisko is a sorcerer, not a melee class.]

What? What are they doing?

[enflame]

They're trying to headbutt my screen! They really don't like this turtle business!

( He quickly pushes the home button, making the turtle go away. Lisko looks up from their position, trying to find where their picture screen friend went. Scratch, scratch...why did they leave? )

I think they're actually pretty mad I showed them that. ( Teach them more words so you understand your kid more, Emil... )

[lalliho]

[Poor baby... This is why you gotta study when the dads teach words.]

Rub under their chin. We'll have to keep an eye out for turtles... I hope they don't see a lizard and hate it.

[enflame]

( Emil does as he's told, though Lisko still looks troubled, looking around, obviously antsy. They wanted that friend! To smell it and pap at it!! )

I think they're still upset...I wish this lizard could telepathically tell us things. ( He thinks about what Lalli looks like when he's upset -- "sensory overload;" that fancy phrase Akira used. He casually kicks the blanket up from around his feet and slips it over Lisko instead. It seems to distract them enough -- they now have a blanket hole to explore! )

That should work. I don't think they'd get mad at other lizards, would they? ...Actually, do you think they remember the lizard world at all?

[lalliho]

Yeah. Genette said no.

[Telepathy Lizard would have been much easier...]

…I don't know. I don't remember a lot from when I was little.

[enflame]

I'll show them a lizard and see what happens.

( He waits for an opportunity and sees Lisko's nose poke out from the blanket hole. Emi found a yellow, lizard thing. Time to show them his search results! Their beady eyes move from the screen to Em, somewhat confused. The scratching starts again, and they gurgle softly, trying to get to this friend too. )

Maybe they aren't angry. More like...kind of sad?

[lalliho]

Oh...

[That's. Upsetting.]

…Do you think we made the wrong choice?

[enflame]

No! No. ( Emil refuses to entertain that idea. He made the absolute right choice. If he had left them back on Aimintas, he would have felt horrible for abandoning them. They're happy, otherwise...just maybe lonely among nothing but humans. )

I guess they feel a little left out. We don't really look like they do. ( No more blanket tunes for you. With a grunt, Emil hefts them closer, making sure they can look at him. No more scratches; his tablet can't take any more of them. Instead, they focus their hands on his face, soft grabby paps. Thank goodness he's telepathically speaking, not using his mouth. )

[lalliho]

[Lalli's not so sure... Lalli's used to regretting nearly everything in life because of the decisions he's made. Lalli's spiraling.]

I guess. Maybe.

[enflame]

( Don't worry -- Inexperienced Optimist Emil is here to save the day. )

All we have to do is find them a lizard...or some lizard-like friend to hang out with for a while. Not a turtle, though.

( He's not as sold on those things. )

[lalliho]

Mrh.

[That's...true...]

I guess I can start...looking at people more when I give them stuff.

[Instead of avoiding all eye contact and running away as soon as he rings the doorbell or has his signature.]

[enflame]

I wonder if they'd be content with just an actual lizard. That's what they were looking at in the pictures -- actual animals. That should be easier to find than actual other world people.

( ...Actually what if this little shit is so spoiled they just want a pet, what the fuck. Lisko The Scammer. )