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WE SIT AROUND A TABLE IN THE LOWER-AWAY RECREATION HUB, EACH WITH A TASTE SIMULACRUM IN FRONT OF US
KAZKI IS IN THE MIDDLE OF TELLING A LONG STORY
HER RECEPTORS GESTICULATE MORE WILDLY THAN USUAL THANKS TO THE ZZOUST SIMULACRUM SHE HAS BEEN CONSUMING
IT IS ENDEARING TO SEE HER SO ANIMATED
ALTHOUGH, I AM SLIGHTLY WORRIED SHE MAY END UP WHACKING BOZKO IN THE FACE WITH A RECEPTOR IF SHE IS NOT CAREFUL
TO MY LEFT, CAVIK SEEMS TO BE ENJOYING THE STORY
HE IDLY FIDDLES WITH HIS DRINK WITH ONE CLAW, HEAD LAZILY PROPPED IN THE OTHER AND RECEPTORS FLUSHED WITH SIMULATED INTOXICATION
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LIGHTWEIGHT, EVEN IN OUR LARVAL YOUTH
I AM STARTLED OUT OF MY FOND REMINISCENCE BY A BURST OF LAUGHTER FROM KAZKI
kazki
and- and one of the sharks started following bozko, and absolutely refused to leave him alone!!
i think it wanted him for a mate, hahahaha!
it even tried to follow us back up to the mesopelagic zone, which of course would be fatal for the poor thing,
so bozko had to throw it very far away so that it could no longer sense him!!
SHE IS LAUGHING SO HARD AT THE MEMORY THAT SHE CAN BARELY FINISH HER SENTENCE
HER BRANCHED RECEPTORS SPASM WITH MIRTH
I CANNOT HELP BUT CHUCKLE MYSELF, MORE AT HER EXAGGERATED REACTION THAN AT THE STORY ITSELF
EVEN SO, IT IS VERY FUNNY TO IMAGINE BOZKO THROWING A BRIGHT ANIMAL AS IF IT WERE A VEILKSPEAR
BOZKO’S RECEPTORS TWIST WITH WRY HUMOR
bozko
i do not recommend attempting to throw a shark underwater
it is very difficult to gather enough momentum
it took several attempts before it was far enough away that it stopped coming back
KAZKI RECOVERS FROM HER LAUGHING FIT, FLEXING HER RECEPTORS AND WIPING AT HER EYES
AN INGRAINED LARVAL HABIT, I PRESUME
kazki
speaking of which, bozko, do you want to accompany me to australia in three gazes’ time?
i will be there for diplomacy purposes, but there will surely be time for exploration afterward!
bozko
ah… i am sorry, but i have plans at that time
would you bring me a spider, though?
SHE GIVES HIM A GENTLE SHOVE, RECEPTORS PLAYFULLY BALLING UP AT HIS TEASING
kazki
hold on!
what are your plans?
it is unlike you to turn down a chance to explore the bright oceans!
BOZKO APPEARS TO HESITATE FOR A FRACTION OF A BLINK
MAYBE IT IS THE CITRIC HAZE I AM IN, BUT HE SEEMS ALMOST BASHFUL
bozko
ah, well, i was planning to spend the day with tozik
HE TWITCHES A RECEPTOR TO HIS RIGHT, WHERE TOZIK SITS QUITE CLOSE
HE HAS BEEN MOSTLY QUIET THUS FAR, SEEMINGLY CONTENT TO LISTEN
MORE AT EASE THAN USUAL, EVEN
AT BOZKO’S WORDS, HE CASUALLY NODS A RECEPTOR AND SIPS FROM HIS DRINK
AROUND THE TABLE, MY TEAMMATES ALL SEEM MILDLY SURPRISED
IT IS RARE ENOUGH FOR TOZIK TO ATTEND OUR SHORT GATHERINGS IN RECREATION,
SO I WOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED HIM TO ACCEPT COMPANY FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF A BRIGHT ‘DAY’
kazki
oh!! how nice!
have fun, you two!
SHE TACTFULLY AVOIDS REPEATING THE COMMON SENTIMENT THAT TOZIK SHOULD SOCIALIZE MORE
IT GREATLY ANNOYS HIM WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT
CAVIK PERKS UP AS IF HIT WITH A SUDDEN REALIZATION
cavik
oh!! bozko, is this what you mentioned earlier?
about you and-
agh
CAVIK FLINCHES SLIGHTLY AS IF STARTLED
HE LOOKS AT TOZIK WITH MILD IRRITATION,
FOLLOWED BY REALIZATION, THEN EMBARRASSMENT
HIS RECEPTORS DRAW BACK, AND HE QUICKLY STOPS TALKING
TOZIK REMAINS SILENTLY LOOKING AHEAD, RECEPTORS EXPRESSIONLESS
A SILENCE FALLS OVER THE TABLE
BOZKO'S RECEPTORS TWIST SLIGHTLY AS IF HE IS THINKING OF SOMETHING CLEVER TO SAY,
BUT IT SEEMS NOTHING COMES TO MIND
I LOOK DOWN AT MY SIMULACRUM, TRYING TO APPEAR UNINTERESTED
I AM STARTING TO REALIZE WHAT IS GOING ON,
BUT I DO NOT WANT TO MAKE THIS SITUATION MORE AWKWARD THAN IT ALREADY IS
TO MY RIGHT, GAKVU SNICKERS TO HERSELF
akizet
what is funny?
gakvu
hehe
nothing, nothing
SHE GLANCES POINTEDLY ACROSS THE TABLE AT TOZIK AND BOZKO
BOZKO AVOIDS EYE CONTACT
TOZIK STILL SHOWS NO OUTWARD SIGN OF EMOTION
THE TENSION IS BECOMING UNBEARABLE
FUNFRIEND WHAT DO I DO
funfriend
RECOMMENDATION: DISTRACT THEM WITH A GAME
THANK YOU FUNFRIEND
VELZIE'S EYE CAST DOWN, I HOPE THIS WILL WORK
akizet
shall we play a game?
i remember the materials initiative acquired a ‘chess board’ recently
um, it should be in that rightmost container against the far wall
i hear gakvu is already very good at it!
GAKVU LOOKS AT ME STRANGELY
THAT WAS A LIE- SHE HAS NEVER PLAYED THIS COUSINLY GAME BEFORE
¥IÁÈiæb4
THAT WAS TERRIBLE
BUT SHE SUDDENLY STANDS UP, RECEPTORS CURLED IN SLIGHT IRRITATION
gakvu
yes, ah…
my envoy has been teaching me
i will be back in a blink
SHE WALKS ACROSS THE ROOM TO RETRIEVE THE BOARD
MY RECEPTORS RELAX THEIR COIL, THE STRESS DISSIPATING
WHILE THE REST OF THE TEAM WATCHES HER CURIOUSLY,
I SNEAK A GLANCE BACK AT BOZKO
A WEIGHT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN LIFTED FROM HIM AS WELL
HE NUDGES TOZIK GENTLY, AND TOZIK LEANS INTO HIS TOUCH EVER SO SLIGHTLY
UNEXPECTED, BUT ODDLY ENDEARING
I TURN MY GAZE AWAY FROM THEM AS GAKVU RETURNS WITH THE ‘CHESS BOARD’
SHE SETS IT DOWN ON THE TABLE WITH MORE FORCE THAN NECESSARY
gakvu
alright kelnits
let us play
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