NPC pet store, mainland, Saturday evening

[can_be_more]

After visiting Luke, Aeryn had gone back to 238 where in conversation with John she'd somehow made mention of the fish-shaped fishbowl Isabel had gotten her for Christmas. This led to the trip to the mainland, to the store that Bruno had come from because they really need another NPC, and when Aeryn steps inside the store, she pauses for a second.

"This is what Fandom will look like the day everyone turns into an animal at once," she says.


[For John, and NFB due to distance.]

Comments

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John smiles. "I think so. He's sneaky like you."

[can_be_more]

"I think that's the first time I've ever been called sneaky," she says. "How do you know that it's male?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Uh, I don't." He taps the glass again. "She's sneaky like you then."

[can_be_more]

"There must be some way to check for gender. How did you know Bruno was male?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Uh..." He shrugs. "We never really checked. We just decided he was."

[can_be_more]

"So all this time he could have been female?" she asks. And has no idea why that makes her go buh.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"I guess," he says. "But he's a dude. A guy. That's that."

[can_be_more]

"A... dude," she repeats. "It's a fish."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"He can be a dude and a fish," John says deliberately.

[can_be_more]

"See, now I'm not sure I should be addressing Bruno as 'him'," she admits.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John flails at her. "He's Bruno! That's that. Let's just get your fish."

[can_be_more]

"How do I know I'm supposed to get this one?" she asks. The others are looking kinda quiet, too.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Well, you can pick one," he says. "I just thought you'd like the biggest one."

[can_be_more]

"I mean, is that all there is to it? There aren't, I don't know, tests that have to be run on it or anything? How do I know I won't end up hating it?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

John Looks at her. "Aeryn...it's a fish."

[can_be_more]

"It's still a pet," she reasons.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but it's just a fish," he says. "No tests and you won't know if you like it until you bring it home."

[can_be_more]

"Okay, if it's just a fish, what makes it different than the ones you eat?"

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He flails at her again. "Because we're not going to eat them! That's all!"

[can_be_more]

"Okay," she says, picking up the bowl with the biggest fish in it. "I was just asking."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Do you want that one?"

[can_be_more]

"Well, I don't have any particular feelings either way on any of them, so this one will do," she answers.

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

He nods and says, "Let's go pay for him then."

And then he leads her straight for the puppies.

[can_be_more]

She is never getting him out of here. "This doesn't look like the cashier."

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"This is better than the cashier!"