The Deck | Sunday Afternoon

[pursuedthestars]

There was a ferret following Jim around. At first, he'd just thought the island was giving out pets again and he'd rolled his eyes. Then, the ferret had started talking. At that point, Jim thought maybe he'd gone on a bender he didn't remember and was still drunk.

But, the ferret hadn't gone away and he hadn't sobered up (because he hadn't ever been drunk) and Jim had eventually just chalked the talking ferret (who'd introduced himself as Aesina) to the island.

Wasn't that what Sparkle had told him the reason for most things was? Whatever, Jim and the stupid ferret were now out on the deck because it apparently hurt like a bitch if Jim tried to get away.

"Are we here to get a tan?" Aesina asked. He was stretched out on a lounger, looking pretty comfortable.

"You've got fur, you can't get sun."

Aesina sniffed haughtily. "Says you. I'll do whatever I want."

Jim rolled his eyes and shook his head. Stupid familiar sounding ferret.

[Deck is open]

Comments

[hasadestiny]

Or a Centaurian slug! Not that Lex knew about them.

"She just started that this semester," Lex told him. "Before that she taught classes."

[pursuedthestars]

"Huh." Yeah, Jim would not be going for a visit with the guidance counselor. He'd heard his mom talk about ship board counselors before. He didn't need someone picking his brain.

"We don't need that," Aesina piped up, curling up on the lounger. "Therapy's stupid."

"It is." He'd just agreed with a ferret. Jim sighed. "I think I liked being a girl better than this. That was more fun."

[hasadestiny]

Lex grinned. "Can't say I minded having breasts and red hair."

"Since I'm you, technically you do this time as well," Roshanak added dryly.

[pursuedthestars]

"Did your fox just imply it had red hair and breasts?" Jim asked, tilting his head and furrowing his brow.

[hasadestiny]

"...I think she just did."

"Well, I'm a red fox aren't I? It's right there in the name," Roshanak said with a vulpine sigh. "And what do you think breasts are except overdeveloped mammary glands?"

[pursuedthestars]

"I just don't know if I ever expected a fox to be so...open about it?" Or maybe he hadn't expected a talking fox at all. That was probably closer to the truth.

"There are girl animals and boy animals, you know," Aesina interjected. "I thought we were smarter than that, Jim."

"We are!" Jim protested, frowning. "Shut up."

[hasadestiny]

"Because animals are so modest on the whole," Roshanak added. "It's why we run around with no clothes on."

"Well, she's got a point," Lex said.

[pursuedthestars]

"She does," Aesina agreed, turning around and preening a bit. He liked his fur, thank you very much.

"Are these animals really showing us up right now?" Jim marveled. "I'm not stupider than a ferret."

"No, you're not," Aesina agreed. "I'm a part of you and I'm not stupid."

[hasadestiny]

"Apparently I am cunning as a fox, though," Lex said. "Literally."

Yeah, Roshanak was nipping his fingers for that.

[pursuedthestars]

"Yeah, I don't know what the ferret says about me," Jim said, eyeing the ferret. Aesina eyed him back.

"I'm not spelling it out for you," he finally said. "I have confidence that you'll figure it out."

"Hmm." It was gonna bother Jim if he didn't figure it out. He glanced back at Lex. "This isn't gonna be a forever thing, is it?"

[hasadestiny]

"Probably not." Lex wasn't quite sure how he felt about that, he was getting kind of used to having her around. "These kind of things usually only last the weekend."

Roshanak paused from the very important business of worrying Lex's fingers. "But remember we're part of you. So we'll still be there, inside you." Not dirty.

[pursuedthestars]

"See, you saying that is just gonna make me think I've got a ferret living inside me," Jim replied, making a face.

"I won't be a ferret when I go back to being a part of you," Aesina said. "I'm just a part of your soul."

"Very deep," Jim said, all sarcasm.