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>>4768512
PREVIOUSLY ON ANIMORPHS QUEST

Your life was fairly ordinary until the night you met Elfangor. It was a regular friday night; you were shopping at the mall with your best friend Anna. It was pure coincidence that you ran into the rest of your group. Anna had arranged with an old friend of yours named Tony to get your friend group back together.

Years ago, they had all been your best friends. You’d met as children at the local swim club, and had been inseparable ever since. You and Nate started dating in January. Of course, that was before your dad passed. In February, he died in a car accident. A semi-truck ran a red light and plowed through his car.

After that, everything started to go wrong in your life. You cut off all of your friends except Anna. Your mom started acting crazier and crazier, alternating between yelling at you and ignoring you. Your sister couldn’t take it, and moved out. You’re not sure where she is now.

Life continued like that for you, all throughout the summer and into the start of the new school year. You’d coasted along, doing the bare minimum in everything except for swim practice. That all changed recently, at that fateful night at the mall.

Anna had surprised you by arranging for Nate and Tony to meet up with you. Another boy named Fred, who was a friend of Nate’s, ended up tagging along too. It was that group that you walked home with that night, and with that group you decided to cut through an abandoned construction site.

It was while walking through that construction site that Elfangor’s spaceship appeared. It came from the skies, descending rapidly to meet you. Within the spaceship was Elfangor, an Andalite prince. The Andalites are an advanced alien species, waging war across the galaxy against their enemy, the Yeerks. Yeerks are parasitic slugs, and they can only live outside of their pools inside of other species, which they control by wrapping around their brains.

The Yeerks are secretly invading Earth, infesting humans in greater and greater numbers to gain more hosts. Elfangor came to Earth with an Andalite dome-ship to stop the Yeerks. He failed.

His fleet was destroyed, and he was mortally wounded. The only thing he had enough time for was to inform the first humans he found of the Yeerks. That was you and your friends. After telling you about the Yeerks, he gave you powers. The power to acquire the DNA of any animal you can touch and transform into it. The power of morphing.

Elfangor was chased by the Yeerks, led by Visser 3, the only Yeerk with an Andalite host, and therefore the only Yeerk that can morph. Visser 3 brutally executed Elfangor, while your group narrowly escaped.

Art is of Jen

>>4768513
Since then, you and your friends have been waging a guerilla (and gorilla) war against the Yeerks and the Sharing, their organization on Earth designed to recruit humans as hosts. You are the Animorphs, the first and last line of defense for your planet until an Andalite fleet returns to destroy the Yeerk presence here, once and for all.

Nate is a natural born leader, Anna is the smartest person you know, Tony is the group’s moral compass, Fred is a dreamer, and you’re the fighter, the one who does what needs to be done.

You managed to identify the police chief of your town as a Controller, someone who hosts a Yeerk. After breaking into his house, you captured his Yeerk while it was vulnerable, interrogated it, and killed it, before letting the freed chief go. The chief went on the run, and his current whereabouts are unknown.

Following the Yeerk’s information, you and the rest of the Animorphs headed to the state capital to track down a very important Controller in the state senate. You managed to find him, but he had more protection than you were expecting. After a nearly fatal battle with over a dozen Hork-Bajir, a highly dangerous species that has been totally enslaved by the Yeerks, you cornered the senator by yourself. Faced with the choice between killing his host to kill the Yeerk, or letting them both go, you decided to sacrifice the senator’s life.

After receiving messages in your dreams urging you to go to the ocean, you and Fred obtained dolphin morphs and traveled to the ocean. There, you swam to the ocean floor, where you found the remains of the Andalite dome-ship. Onboard, there was only one survivor of the battle, Elfangor’s younger brother Aximili. As Ax was too young to fight, he remained with the dome of the Andalite ship, and survived it crashing into the ocean after the battle. You returned to the surface with him, leaving the dome to be crushed by the unstoppable pressure of the ocean.

>>4768514
Once you retrieved Ax, your group decided to infiltrate the Sharing. A teacher and Controller at your high school, Mr. Fisher, had been pressuring you to join. While there, you befriended a boy named Curt, who you used for information on the Sharing. The plan was just for you to spend the afternoon at a Sharing getaway in the woods, but you decided to stay the night to get more information. You found out that the Yeerks are trying to recruit young hosts as part of their long term plan to take over Earth. You also learned that the police chief’s replacement, the deputy chief, is trying to expose the Sharing. Unfortunately, Curt thought that you using him was something more than it was, and tried to kiss you. You rejected him, and used it as an excuse to leave the Sharing. Mr. Fisher found out about your falling out with Curt, and you’re still not sure if that will affect Curt.

Since then, your group has anonymously passed information to the deputy chief, and put him under surveillance to make sure that the Yeerks don’t kidnap him and make him a Controller.

Currently, you’re spending the day with Fred. Your mom texted you, asking you to come home early to talk to you. She’s been acting strangely lately. You decided to blow her off and continue hanging out with Fred.

Posting the recap here. From now on, I’ll put the recap in a pastebin, and update it at the start of each new thread.

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>>4768515
You don’t want to deal with your mom right now.

”I’m busy,” you simply reply, and stick your phone back into your pocket.

“What was that?” Fred asks.

“Nothing,” you say, “let’s go up the hill.”

Wheeling your bike, you start walking along the trail. The trees are close here, but there’s enough space for the two of you and your bikes. The trail winds around the side of the hill, though it always goes upwards.

Fred runs out of things to say about the theatre program at school, so you fill the silence with stories about your swim team. It’s mostly meaningless gossip and race results, but he doesn’t seem to mind. It’s nice to have something utterly unimportant to discuss instead of how to stop the Yeerks or save people’s lives.

You reach the top of the hill. From here, it’s a short walk to a clear patch where the trees have been cut back. Turning to face the town you take a seat on the ground.

From here, you feel like you can see for miles. Behind you, the forest continues towards the mountains. In front of you, the woods thin and disappear as they meet the town. Neighborhoods upon neighborhoods crowd in on each other, each little house perfectly spaced out from the next. In the center lies the local high school. Your home is somewhere in the suburban sprawl, though you can’t make it out from this far. Further away, the small streets meet to form large roads leading into the commercial part of town. Shops, restaurants, and the much-beloved mall. Beyond that, the town disappears again as the woods and hills return. Fred’s house is somewhere out there on the extreme southern end of town.

“It’s beautiful,” Fred says. “It’s like being a falcon, but… there’s this perspective that you don’t have when you’re a bird. When I’m flying, it’s like my brain is only looking for thermals and prey. But, like this… I understand what I’m actually looking at. I can see the way people travel, the way they live their lives, just… everything. It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah,” you agree. He has a way of expressing himself that you lack. You would have probably just said ‘it looks nice’.

For a while, you just sit there, admiring the view. You keep the conversation going with Fred, but it’s just more meaningless talk about swim and theatre. You can’t put into words how much of a relief it is to finally have a break from the pressure, not that you would ever let the tension you’re under show.

The break is interrupted when Fred’s phone starts buzzing. He looks down at it.

“Shit!” he exclaims.

“What? Is it from the others?” you ask.

“No, I just forgot I had rehearsal tonight. I need to go home and get ready.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, sorry,” he grimaces. “I wish I could blow it off, but I don’t want to lose my spot.”

“That’s fine,” you sympathetically frown.

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>>4768517
He climbs to his feet and grabs his bike. The trail is too steep to cycle down, so you just walk your bike. Once you reach the bottom, you climb onto your bike and Fred does the same.

Before he goes to his house, he rides with you to yours. You’re getting ready to bid him farewell when you spot your mom’s car in the driveway. You’d almost forgotten about her text.

“Damnit,” you mutter.

“What?” Fred asks. “The rehearsal isn’t that big of a deal, we can just meet up tomorrow.”

“No,” you reply, pointing at your mom’s car. “My mom’s home.

“Oh. Do you want me to come in with you?”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“Yeah, sure,” he gives you a slight smile. “You were there for me after I ran into my dad, I’m fine with doing the same for you.”

“Well, thanks, but I think it’s probably best she didn’t see me bringing a boy home. I don’t think she’d care, but still.”

You don’t mention the fact that you’d be embarrassed if Fred saw you and your mom go at it. It probably wouldn’t be your fault, but you still wouldn’t like him to see that.

He waves goodbye as you park your bike and walk up to the front door, but stays by the driveway until you go inside.

Your mom is waiting in the kitchen.

“Where have you been?” she asks.

“None of your business,” you defiantly say.

“Fine. I heard you wanted to join the Sharing?”

“How did you know about that?” you ask, blood running cold.

“I heard about it. Is it true or not?”

“Why?”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re going to refuse to give me a straight answer. What’s important is that you do not join.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Do not join the Sharing. I don’t care what they tell you or promise you, don’t join it.”

Though you’d never thought about it seriously, lately you’ve been having an uncertain feeling about your mom. A feeling that, somehow, she might be a Controller. You’d never put it into words, or actively thought about it, but it’s been there, coloring your perception of her. That feeling is gone now. Your mom can’t be a Controller, but you don’t know why she doesn’t trust the Sharing.

You want to ask her more about this, but if she does know something about the Sharing’s secrets, you have to know.

>“Okay. I won’t.”
>“Why don’t you want me to join it?”
>“I went to a meeting, but I’m not going to join it. I know there’s something fishy going on there. Tell me what it is.”
>Write-in

>>4768519
>>“Why don’t you want me to join it?”

Pretend to be defiant and weed out info from her

>>4768519
>“Why don’t you want me to join it?”

if we keep arguing though just say 'fine'

>>4768519
>>“Why don’t you want me to join it?”

>Your mom can’t be a Controller, but you don’t know why she doesn’t trust the Sharing.
I still think she's a Controller. Maybe her Yeerk has done a deal or something - compliance in exchange for our protection or something.

>>4768519
>“I went to a meeting, but I’m not going to join it. I know there’s something fishy going on there. Tell me what it is.”


IS OUR MOM A FUCKING ANDALITE

>>4768563
oh shit

or maybe Jen is the Tobias after all

and her dead dad wasn't actually human.

>>4768519
>“I went to a meeting, but I’m not going to join it. I know there’s something fishy going on there. Tell me what it is.”

>>4768519
>“I went to a meeting, but I’m not going to join it. I know there’s something fishy going on there. Tell me what it is.”
If we make her think that, if she doesn't tell Jen, Jen is going to keep digging on her own, she's much more likely to tell Jen at least something. She could just lie of course, making up some other bad thing. Or it could be a disaster if she's a controller. But I think it's worth the risk' to push a little.

>>4768519
>>“I went to a meeting, but I’m not going to join it. I know there’s something fishy going on there. Tell me what it is.”

>>4768874
Forgot to drop your trip, loser. Or is this a desperate marketing ploy?

>>4768894
>desperate marketing ploy
Hey what's up guys, it's me, ya bo. Be sure to smash that like button and click the bell.

>>4768531
>>4768546
>>4768560
>“Why don’t you want me to join it?”

>>4768563
>>4768593
>>4768862
>>4768874
>“I went to a meeting, but I’m not going to join it. I know there’s something fishy going on there. Tell me what it is.”

Set. Writing

>>4768874
Pathetic

>>4768519
“I went to a meeting,” you say. She opens her mouth to respond, but you talk over her. “I’m not going to join it. I know there’s something fishy going on there. Tell me what it is.”

She looks at you consideringly.

“What do you mean ‘something fishy’?” she probes.

“You know what I mean,” you say vaguely.

She keeps staring at you. You can’t make out anything on her expression, and do your best not to squirm under her gaze.

“Do I?” she asks.

“Uh, yeah,” you respond. “You’re the one who told me to stay away from them.”

There’s something going on here that you can’t grasp. Neither of you wants to play your hand early, but you can’t figure out what your mom is hiding. The silence continues. You can’t be any more forward than you’ve already been, not without letting on that you know more than you should about the Sharing’s dirty secrets.

You try to act casual, crossing your arms and leaning against a wall. Your mom doesn’t break her stare, and neither do you.

“I know about them from work,” she eventually says.

“And?” you ask.

“And they can’t be trusted. From what I’ve heard, they pressure people into joining, blackmail them if they try to leave, and ruin the lives of anyone that speaks against them. Now, what happened when you went to their meeting?”

“Nothing. They were pretty pushy about joining, but I’m not going to go back.”

You don’t mention that Fisher had forced you to say you would come back. Hopefully you can help the deputy chief publicly expose the Sharing before that ever comes up again.

“Good.”

“Did you hear anything specific at work? Like, any stories about them?”

“No,” she slowly says.

“Really? Then where did you get all that stuff about them being shady from?”

You’ve got her on the ropes, and she knows it. Whatever she knows, she won’t be able to cover it up for long. You think you’re doing a pretty good job at seeming innocent too.

“I have a coworker whose son is in it,” she says after another long pause. “He got sucked in and couldn’t leave even though he tried. Then, he stopped talking to his parents. Next, he started recruiting for them.”

“Who?” you ask. Your dad used to have most of your parents' coworkers over for dinner every now and then. You probably know who she’s talking about, assuming this is a true story.

“It would be a violation of their privacy if I told you.”

Your phone starts to buzz. Someone is calling you. You silence it without looking and continue to press your mom.

“How did you find out that I went to a meeting then?” you follow up.

She’s silent again. Frustration flickers onto her face. She covers it up quickly, but you know what you saw. Her poker face is starting to crack.

“Well?” you ask again. “Are you spying on me?”

She looks like she’s about to respond, but whoever is trying to call you dials your phone again.

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>>4770581
“Your phone is ringing,” she remarks.

“Answer my question.”

“I’m not going to answer that. You should know I have your best interests at heart.”

You snort. “So you are spying on me then.”

It’s obviously not true. If she was, then she’d know about you and the rest of the Animorphs. It might encourage her to give you a straight answer, though.

“I’m not going to have this conversation with you,” she dismissively says. You recognize the retreat and get ready to pressure her again, but your phone rings a third time. You fish it out of your pocket and glance at the caller ID. It’s Nate.

Mom sees something on your face and smirks.

“Important call?” she asks. Before you can put together a comeback, she walks past you towards the front door.

You have to take this call instead of going after her. You accept it and lift your phone to your ear.

“Nate?”

“Our mutual friend called me. He said our new acquaintance needs some help.”

“Got it. Did you tell everyone else?”

“Just Fred. He’s closest to where we need to go.”

“Understood. I’m on my way.”

Nate hangs up. After checking to make sure your mom is gone, you run up to your room. You fling open your window and poke your head out to make sure there are no neighbors around.

Once you think the coast is clear, you step out of view from the window and begin your morph to red-tailed hawk.

The first thing to change is your legs. They shorten abruptly, as your feet become hard talons. It’s impossible to keep your balance, and you tumble to the floor. You catch yourself with your hands, only to realize that they’re not really hands anymore. Brown and grey patterns are flowing across them, and feathers begin to sprout from your skin. A beak bursts out of your face. You can’t tell what you look like now, but it must be hideous. The wings and talons of a bird, with the torso and head of a human, except for the beak. Your body and head start to change, leaving your eyes for last. Your still-human eyes bulge uncomfortably in your bird skull, before finally shrinking while your vision sharpens. Your morph is finished.

It feels good to be back. It’s only been a day or two since you used this morph, but it’s felt like an eternity. You don’t have time to think about that, though. With a flap of your wings, you propel yourself up and out of your window.

The asphalt in front of your house is still warm, and it heats the air above it, producing a rising column of hot air. A thermal.

Your wings spread, and it lifts into the sky. You don’t even need to flap.

Doing a circle above your house, you focus your vision and start to orient yourself. In the distance, you can make out the mall. The deputy chief lives near Fred, so his house should be in that direction. You made sure to note his address and where it is in relation to the rest of the town earlier.

>>4770584
The flight is short. As a hawk, you can simply take a direct line to your destination. You use the height from the thermal to fall, picking up speed as you go. Then, once you’ve lost some altitude, you catch another thermal. You repeat this cycle of rising and falling until the area the deputy chief’s house is in comes into view.

It takes you a minute to find it. It’s nestled in the woods, the trees encroaching on its lawn from all sides. There’s only one small road connecting it to the main streets, and as you get closer you see that a truck has been parked perpendicularly across it, blocking any entry or exit that way. Flying towards the house, you can’t make out anything special. It doesn’t look like Ax or anyone else is nearby. You don’t see any car near the house, but it has a garage. For all you know it’s parked inside.

You turn your gaze on the woods. There’s nothing at first, but then you spot it. There’s a group of adults. Some of them are looking at the house through binoculars, while others are looking around nervously. Alarm runs through you when you notice half of them are carrying guns.

That’s not all though. Behind the group of people is a contingent of Hork-Bajir. You only see four at the moment, but they’re hard to make out in the woods. There could be more you haven’t spotted yet.

In the distance, glass shatters. The humans jump. Looking back towards the house, you see a man lying motionless on the ground in a pile of broken glass. Someone, or something, has just thrown him through the window. You’re worried that it’s the deputy chief, but the sound of gunfire breaks out in the house. Glancing back towards the forest, you spot the humans breaking from their cover and starting to run towards the house. There’s no time to figure this out. You have to act.

>Attack the humans outside the house in hawk morph. You can do some serious damage with your talons and buy time for the rest to get here
>Get inside the house. You can find out what’s going on and help whoever’s in there
>Land in the woods and morph a tiger. It’ll take time, but you need your full firepower
>Write-in

>>4770587
>Attack the humans outside the house in hawk morph. You can do some serious damage with your talons and buy time for the rest to get here

target eyes and throats

rip and tear

>>4770587
>>Attack the humans outside the house in hawk morph. You can do some serious damage with your talons and buy time for the rest to get here

>>4770587
>Attack the humans outside the house in hawk morph. You can do some serious damage with your talons and buy time for the rest to get here

>>4770591
>>4770596
>>4770827
Set. Can I have 3 rolls of 1d20?

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>4772154
Peepoo

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>4772154

>>4772154
For you brother

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>4772154
I roll

>>4772159
>>4772161
>>4772209
One success. Writing

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>>4770587
The most important thing is to buy time for your friends to arrive. Ax and Fred are probably around here somewhere, but you can’t worry about them now. Once everyone else gets here, you can find them and help them. Until then, the most important thing is to distract those Controllers and buy time.

You tuck your wings in and angle your body downwards. Gravity seizes you as soon as you stop catching air, pulling you downwards at ever-increasing speed.

Your vision focuses in on one man in the center of their group. His eyes are on the deputy chief’s house as he runs forward. All you can hear is the roar of the air as you shoot downwards, faster and faster. The ground is rushing towards you. You must be going close to a hundred miles per hour now.

Just as you ready yourself to fling your wings open and level off, the man glances upwards. He can’t have heard you, it’s just pure, unlucky coincidence. He shouts in alarm when he spots you, and raises his gun instead of covering his face. That was the wrong decision.

You reach him before he can fire, your wings outstretched and talons aimed straight for his eyes. His face offers no resistance as you tear it open, until your claws grind across bone. The sudden resistance makes you tumble through the air. His scream mixes with deafeningly loud bursts of gunfire.

You flap your wings desperately to stabilize before you hit the ground. The grass is a green blur, and ahead of you, the trees loom, a wall of brown and black. You can’t gain enough altitude before you hit the treeline, and have to frantically weave between trees, inches away from an ignominious end.

The sharp staccato bursts of gunfire continue behind you. Next to you, a tree branch explodes in a burst of splinters.

All around you, bullets are impacting tree trunks. Finally, you manage to gain enough height to rise above the treetops. You still hear the guns, but it doesn’t seem like they have a bead on you. If you fly close to the treetops, they won’t find you.

Circling back, you get enough altitude to peek back towards the Controllers. They seem to have lost you. The one you hit is on the ground, hands on his face. You can make out blood, but otherwise not much. He’s almost definitely blind now. You can’t spare any sympathy for the host. In fact, if all goes well, you’ll do the same to the rest.

As the Controllers continue to look around, you take this opportunity to gain altitude again. You flap hard, powering yourself upwards, even as you head away from the house. You’ll need some distance so the Controllers don’t see you coming.

>>4772360
Once you feel you’ve climbed enough, you turn around and look back towards your enemy. Your talons are stained red, but undamaged. You’re clear for another attack. Your wings fold in, and you point yourself towards them. This time, you’re not diving straight down. You can’t risk them looking up and spotting you again.

The sound of rushing air grows louder and louder, your body trembling from the forces buffeting you. Dozens of feathers undergo microscopic readjustments, angling you for the perfect descent. You’re planning to fly right over the treeline, catch another Controller, and fly past the house.

One of the Controllers scanning the area spots you. He yells and points. There’s no time for you to pull out of the dive. You just have to hope that you’re moving fast enough for them to miss you.

He raises his gun. You’re a couple hundred feet out.

He starts firing, as the others begin to look at you. They’re much too slow. His first shot misses, as well as his second and third. Now, you’re a hundred feet out.

He keeps firing, right up until you reach him. He didn’t hit you, and just like before he failed to protect his eyes. Your talons strike home, blood spraying from where you impact him. This time, you’re ready when you strike his skull, and manage to maintain your path with just a few flaps of your wings.

The others open fire, but your speed carries you away from them. You soar over the treeline. This is exhausting, yet you feel exhilarated. Once you get some more distance and they lose track of you again, you’ll be ready for another dive. The last thing you think of while planning your next attack is ‘they can’t hit me from here.’ That’s when the bullet hits your wing.

Agony shoots through you. You’re spinning before you know it, only one of your wings able to catch the air. That wing is just making it harder for you as you tumble, producing lift on one side that flips you over again and again. All you can tell is that you’re falling.

Then, you impact. Thankfully, you hit a branch instead of a tree trunk. It’s more painful than you could have ever imagined, and you’re still plummeting, but at least it’s somewhat controlled instead of a sharp drop to the forest floor and your death. Of course, you’re not thinking of that. You’re struggling to maintain your desperate attempts at recovery. Your sole good wing is being pummeled as well, even as you do your best to flap it in a vain attempt to catch air.

The tree branches stop hitting you. In your disoriented state, you can’t understand why. Until you slam into the ground, and everything fades to black with one last wave of pain.

>>4772363
It’s impossible to say how much time has passed when you wake up. Most of your body is aching, except for your broken wing. You can’t call what you’re feeling there an ache. It’s blinding, burning, white-hot pain, radiating outwards. It feels like you’re going to lose your mind.

You can’t let that happen. The others are counting on you. No matter how much pain you’re in, you’re not going to let them down. You force yourself to raise your head, looking around. You can’t see out of one of your eyes. It must have been hit on the way down.

All you can make out is an endless expanse of green and brown. It’s impossible to say where you are in relation to the house, the Controllers, or anything. However, even in your disoriented state, you can tell the sun doesn’t seem to have moved much. It can’t have been more than forty five minutes, meaning you have around an hour left in morph.

You want to morph out of this form. Maybe it’s to get to a better position, or maybe it’s to escape the agony. If you morph out, you’d be able to return to this form uninjured, or perhaps change into a tiger.

On the other hand, it would leave you vulnerable. You have no clue where you are in relation to the human or Hork-Bajir Controllers. If they caught you, it would be over. You’d either be captured or dead. Both would be disastrous. If you just wait, the others will be able to find you by flying over while calling out with thoughtspeech. It wouldn’t take them long, if you’ve bought them enough time to arrive and they stop the Controllers.

It doesn’t sit right with you to just lie here though. The others are counting on you. Besides, these woods are large. It’s more likely than not that you’ll be safe morphing. However, you can’t discount that risk entirely.

>Endure the pain. You’ll wait to hear from the others
>Morph out and back to hawk. You need to get back into the air
>Morph out and into a tiger. You can track down those Hork-Bajir and deal with them
>Write-in

>>4772365
>Morph out and into a tiger. You can track down those Hork-Bajir and deal with them

>>4772365
>>Morph out and into a tiger. You can track down those Hork-Bajir and deal with them

>>4772365
>>Morph out and then into the falcon form. Attack the Controllers form a different angle and hope you can trick into thinking there is more than one enemy.

>>4772365
>Morph out and into a tiger. You can track down those Hork-Bajir and deal with them

>>4772365
>>Morph out and into a tiger. You can track down those Hork-Bajir and deal with them
Tiger time

>>4772365
>>Morph out and into a tiger. You can track down those Hork-Bajir and deal with them

>>4772385
>>4772387
>>4772392
>>4772433
>>4773011
>Morph tiger

>>4772391
>Morph falcon

Set. Can I have 3 rolls of 1d20?

>>4774181

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>4774181
hey ho, let's go

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>4774181

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>4774181

>>4774198
>>4774208
>>4774215
>3 successes
Writing

let's rip some fucking throats out

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>>4772365
You can’t stay like this. It’s time to get back into the fight. You begin the morph back to human.

There’s a strange sound from your bones as they revert from hollow bird bones to solid human bones. The pain begins to fade as your body returns to normal. Limbs lengthen, feathers change to skin, your talons merge together to form feet, and fingers emerge at the end of your still-forming arms. The bones of one of your now-human arms are still broken, leaving your limb bent at odd angles where it should be straight. However, with a strange grinding sound, it starts to straighten out as the morphing process fixes your injuries. Your head expands and broadens, while your vision clears up and returns to normal.

You’re human again, and uninjured. While the mind of the bird was more analytical, focused on the mechanics of flying and hunting its prey, your human mind is stressed and upset. You’d almost died back there. If that bullet had hit your chest, or if your head had struck a tree before your body, you’d be dead now. It’s chilling to think about. That’s the closest you’ve ever come to death.

Still, there’s no time to waste worrying about what could have happened. Without standing up, you start the morph to tiger. Black and orange stripes appear on your skin.

Fur sprouts from your skin, while muscles bulge out beneath it. Fangs grow in place of your teeth, and all fear, stress, and worry leave your mind. As the morph finishes, there’s only one thing you care about. Your prey.

Lifting your head, you take a deep breath in. There’s not much, just the natural smells of the forest. You take another breath, searching for anything. A dog peed on a tree near here, some deer passed through, the excrement of some small animals, and then, so faint you almost missed, the smell of blood and gunpowder. Your head swivels from side to side, searching for the scent. It’s getting stronger; the wind must be blowing it towards you. There! You find where it’s coming from and set off.

You cover ground unbelievably fast. The terrain flies by as you travel directly towards the source of the smell. Your body operates on autopilot, jumping over fallen longs, dashing around tree trunks, and powering through bushes. Though this North American forest is far from the Siberian woods the tiger you acquired originally hailed from, for your purposes it’s practically the same.

The trees begin to thin. Up ahead, you can see the deputy chief’s house through the trees. You slow before you reach the clearing, peering forwards without showing yourself. There aren’t any Controllers on this side of the house. It looks as though you’re on the opposite side of the woods as the Hork-Bajir.

File: hork-bajir.jpg (185 KB, 714x1000)

185 KB JPG

>>4774634
Of course! You were flying over the trees in this direction when you were hit, the opposite direction of the Hork-Bajir. The pain and impact must have disoriented you and made you lose track of where you were in relation to them. It’ll take you a while to reach them. Hopefully you won’t be tired by then. As fast and powerful as the tiger is, it was built for slowly stalking and ambushing its prey, not extended running.

You circle around the edge of the clearing, looking for any enemies. You don’t see anyone outside of the house or through the windows, though you do spot what looks like two guns on the ground in between the woods and the house. Those must be from the Controllers you took out.

Continuing towards where you think the Hork-Bajir were, you finally spot them. You mistake one’s brown coloring for a tree at first, and it’s only when you’re just feet away that you recognize what you’re looking at. He’s about seven feet tall, covered in wickedly sharp blades. Thankfully, he hasn’t spotted you, instead staring at the house. You don’t see any others.

You leap without hesitation. The Hork-Bajir crumples beneath your weight, fangs sinking into his throat. He dies before he can make a sound. Your tongue runs over your teeth, removing the pieces of flesh stuck between them. He tastes strange.

You slide back into the underbrush silently, sniffing for more Hork-Bajir. Unfortunately, they don’t have any unique smell you recognize. Instead, you continue to prowl through the brush, traveling in broadening circles, until you find the rest of the Hork-Bajir. The three of them are standing together, discussing something. You back up slightly and bide your time. They seem to be looking for their missing friend. A sense of satisfaction runs through you.

After a minute, they split up, heading in opposite directions. You follow the one heading towards your kill. You don’t want him finding the body and alerting his friends.

Once there’s enough distance between you and the other Hork-Bajir, you pounce. Unfortunately, this time something alerts your foe.

He spins around, raising his blades. It’s too late to stop your attack, but he manages to yell and slice at you before you hit him. He slams to the forest floor, pinned beneath your weight. He cuts you a few times, but with one bite you finish it. Your wounds are only superficial, nothing life-threatening.

Your ears perk up. The other Hork-Bajir are calling back to the one you’ve just killed. After they don’t hear any response, they start barreling towards you.

You leap up the closest tree, claws digging into its bark as you propel yourself upward. The other Hork-Bajir arrive, tearing through any bushes or branches in their way. They stop directly underneath as they reach the body, one bending down to investigate it while the other looks around. You take the opportunity, dropping on the one still standing.

>>4774638
Seven hundred pounds of tiger hits the Hork-Bajir from fifteen feet up. He crumples with a satisfying series of snapping sounds. He might not be dead, but he won’t be able to stand after that.

The other Hork-Bajir jumps to its feet, blades at the ready. You won’t be able to ambush this one, not after he’s spotted you.

With a ground-shaking roar, you spring forward. His arms are a whirlwind, slicing at you, drawing blood again and again, and yet you’re still faster than him. One paw catches an arm, your wickedly sharp claws slicing it to shreds. The other is pinned between you and him, at an angle such that he can’t properly cut you. He cries out in desperation, trying to break free, but you’re stronger than him. Much stronger.

You finish it quickly, and turn back to the other Hork-Bajir. He’s lying on the ground in a pile of broken limbs. He moans weakly as you stand over him, trying to move away from you as best as he can. You lean in for the killing bite. He twitches weakly, and then it’s done.

Four Hork-Bajir against you, and you killed them all. It was almost too easy. Though you’re bleeding from a myriad of cuts, all of them are shallow. With no Controllers that you know of left in the woods, it’s time to go to the house.

The guns are where you left them on the grass. Lying on the ground, the man you saw get sent through a window is still motionless. It’s hard to say if he’s unconscious or dead. One of the doors is open, and you pad through.

FWHIP!

Blindingly fast, faster even than you, a blade flies towards the side of your face. It stops at the last second, but you know whoever it was could have killed you if they so desired.

<Jen?> Ax asks. He’s standing to the side of you. His main eyes are looking at you, while his stalk eyes swivel around, trying to peer out of windows and around the house, even as he stands close to a wall to keep his body out of the sightline of the windows.

<Yep,> you say, hiding your alarm.

<I’m glad you’re here. What happened outside? We heard gunfire, but didn’t want to expose ourselves. Two more Controllers came inside and dragged in two other injured humans. That was your doing?>

<I took them out as a hawk, and then four Hork-Bajir in the woods. I think that was all of them. Fred’s with you, right? What happened here?>

Looking around, you see two unconscious Controllers on the ground, the two whose eyes you destroyed earlier lying against a wall, and further into the house a pool of blood and a severed arm. Piled up against a wall is a collection of guns, taken from the fallen Controllers.

>>4774641
<The deputy chief locked himself in his basement and phoned law enforcement when the Controllers arrived. I landed inside and morphed back to my original form to fight them. Fred arrived shortly before they attacked and assumed his gorilla morph. We dispatched the first wave of attackers. That must have been just before you arrived, because there was a lull and then these four came in. I am uninjured, but Fred was hurt.>

Your heart jumps.

<Fred was hurt?> you ask. <Where is he? Is he okay?>

<He’s in there,> Ax gestures with an arm. <He morphed back to his human form.>

You head towards Fred without waiting, stepping over the severed arm on your way. A dead woman is lying on the ground. Her body wasn’t visible from the foyer, but you can see that the arm belonged to her. That must be Ax’s doing.

Stepping into the kitchen, the first thing you see is a row of shattered windows. That can only be where the Controller was flung out of the house. On top of the kitchen table, a Controller is unconscious. As you approach, you notice his neck is bent at an impossible angle. He’s dead, not unconscious.

It takes you a second to spot Fred. He’s huddled in a corner, looking even paler than usual. He’s only wearing a spandex biking suit, his morphing outfit. His hands and feet are covered in blood, but he seems unharmed. Relief floods his face when he sees you.

“Jen?” he whispers.

<Are you okay?> you ask.

“I am now,” he gestures to another large pool of blood on the ground. Looking closer, you see five or six bullets in the middle of the puddle. The Controllers wouldn’t shoot each other, meaning this is from Fred before he morphed back. That’s a lot of blood.

“Are all the Controllers gone?” he asks. “Ax said he thought they were, but to stay hiding until he’s sure. I didn’t want to move or morph back and risk getting shot.”

<I think so. What happened?>

“Nate called me and told me that Ax needed help. I got here just before they busted in. I messed them up, but even a gorilla doesn’t stand up to guns too well.”

<What about the deputy chief?>

“Ax said he’s locked in the basement. We haven’t tried to talk to him. I think he’s going to stay hiding until cops he knows show up. It’s what I’d do. What happened to you?”

He’s pointing at your chest. Looking down, you realize that you’re stained in blood from the cuts you took earlier.

<I’m fine. I think we just wait for the others to show up now. Get ready to morph your falcon and get out of here if the cops show up. I don’t want to have to explain what you’re doing here with a tiger, an alien, and several dead people.>

He flinches when you mention dead people. You’d forgotten that, apart from maybe one or two Hork-Bajir in the capital, Fred has probably never killed or hurt anyone.

<Sorry.>

“I’m okay,” he says. It sounds like he’s reassuring himself as much as you. “I’m okay.”

>>4774643
<Jen, Fred, Ax, are you in there?> Nate’s voice interrupts.

<We’re here,> you and Ax respond.

<What happened?>

<Ax and Fred took care of all the human Controllers inside,> you explain. <I took out the Hork-Bajir in the woods. The deputy chief is unharmed. I don’t think he knows what happened. We’re all okay too.>

<Good. I’m here with Anna, and Tony is on his way. We’re coming in.>

Shortly afterwards, a golden eagle and an osprey fly through the shattered windows, flapping their wings as they land on the table.

<Are we safe to demorph?> Nate asks.

<All clear, but make it fast. The cops are on their way.> you say. Behind you, Ax steps into the kitchen.

They hop down from the table onto the floors, avoiding the bloody patches around the kitchen, and start their morphs back to human.

“We’re almost in the boonies,” Nate says. “We should have a little time to talk. What are we going to do with the deputy chief?”

“We should just leave,” Anna immediately argues. “Let’s get out of here before the cops get here. They’ll find a bunch of dead or unconscious people with guns, that are probably all Sharing members, and put the clues together. There’s no need to put ourselves at risk or get more involved than that.”

“How’s he going to explain what happened?” Nate asks. “These people didn’t beat themselves up.”

You notice the others are studiously avoiding looking at the dead body on the table.

“He doesn’t have to,” Anna says. “The evidence will prove he didn’t do it. They might not be able to explain it, but they’ll know the Sharing was behind it. He was already publicly against the Sharing. Plus, we told him about Berenson going missing and the Sharing violating the rules about recruiting kids. It’s more than enough to ruin them.”

Fred and Ax are silent. Nate looks reluctant to agree with Anna, but doesn’t have any argument right now.

>“Let’s tell him that we’re Andalites and fill him in on everything. He deserves to know the truth.”
>“Just leave him in the basement. Even if there are Controllers in the cops, there won’t be nearly enough to cover this up. We can remove the Hork-Bajir bodies from the woods to stop his story from being too unbelievable.”
>Write-in

>>4774645
>“Let’s tell him that we’re Andalites and fill him in on everything. He deserves to know the truth.”

>>4774645

>>4774645
>>“Let’s tell him that we’re Andalites and fill him in on everything. He deserves to know the truth.”

Forgot vote

>>4774645
>>“Let’s tell him that we’re Andalites and fill him in on everything. He deserves to know the truth.”
But we need to make sure he is aware how crazy it all sounds and remind him of the consequences if people think he's a schizo.

We should also tell him that if they can isolate the Controllers we blinded for long enough then the Yeerks will die or be forced to crawl out in search of kandrona. They might be able to get some valuable information from the former hosts (although they would have to isolate the Controllers well or agents of the Sharing will try to rescue them).

>>4774645
>>4774927 +1

>>4774645
>>4774927
+1

>>4774649
>>4774696
>>4774927
>>4774946
>>4774961
>“Let’s tell him that we’re Andalites and fill him in on everything. He deserves to know the truth.”
>Write-in
Set. Writing

Hello, I am one of AnimorphsQM friends, I will be posting an update for him since he was banned for reasons unknown. Please hold

<Let’s say that we’re Andalites, and tell him everything,> you interrupt. <He deserves to know the truth.>

Nate smiles and nods. Anna frowns, but shrugs.

“I guess you guys win,” she says, “unless someone else wants to weigh in?”

Ax and Fred are silent.

“Alright, let’s do this quickly then,” Nate takes charge. “Ax, you should talk to him. You’ll seem the most Andalite-like, in case the Yeerks ever catch this guy and look at his memories.”

<Yes, Prince Nate,> Ax replies.

<Prince Nate?> you ask.

<Is he not your leader in war?> Ax asks.

“Let’s not have this discussion now,” Nate quickly says. “Just call me Nate, Ax.”

<Yes, Prince Nate. What do you wish me to say to him?>

“Tell him all the people trying to get him have been taken care of and that the cops are on their way. Then, you can tell him all about the Yeerks and Andalites. First, we should all morph. He can’t see us as humans.”

You’re already in morph, so you just wait as the others assume their morphs. For Anna, Nate, and Fred, that means gorilla morphs. The transformation is as disgusting as ever, but it’s over quickly.

Ax leads your group to a door. Nate steps up to, walking on his feet and knuckles, and raises one massive fist. He knocks on it gently. There’s no response.

<Hello,> Ax says. Somehow, you can tell he’s broadcasting to everyone nearby. <It’s safe. All your attackers have been disposed of. The local law enforcement is on its way. You can come out now.>

You can’t tell if the deputy chief is in there. He’s not saying anything. There’s a pause as you wait for him to reply.

Just before Ax continues, a gruff voice shouts from beneath you.

“I don’t know how the hell you’re talking like that,” it says, “and I don’t care. You’re obviously not my buddies, and I’m not going to fall for whatever you’re trying to do. If you’re smart, you’ll get the hell out of here before they get here.”

<We are your friends,> Ax says. The voice doesn’t reply, so he continues. <The Sharing and the people it sent to attack you aren’t just humans. They are the puppets of an intergalactic empire called the Yeerk Empire. We are Andalites, their sworn enemies. We have come to this world to stop a Yeerk invasion.>

“That’s some line of bullshit,” the deputy chief laughs. “You really expect me to believe that?”

<It’s true! We know that you are trying to fight the Sharing. Tell me, have you ever thought it strange that so many people that either oppose the Sharing or join it experience sudden personality changes?>

It’s impossible to say if the deputy chief is listening. He doesn’t respond. After letting the silence go on for a while, Ax continues.

Update two
<If you still don’t believe us, then look into the woods in the direction of your kitchen window after we leave. You’ll find the bodies of four aliens. The Yeerks are parasites. They infest hosts and take total control of their bodies. The humans working for the Sharing and the aliens in the woods are all their hosts. We are aware this will be hard for you to believe, but the evidence you will find is not explainable in any other way. The Yeerks are advanced and highly dangerous. Their weakness is the need to return to a pool to feed every three days. If they can’t make it back, they will leave their hosts and die. We are trying to fight them wherever we can and buy time for a fleet from our home world to arrive and destroy them.>

Ax pauses again, waiting for the deputy chief to reply. Eventually, he does.

“Even if I believe this nonsense, what am I supposed to do about aliens? Nobody will believe that story.”

<You can publicly expose the Sharing. The call you received about the disappearance of a government official and the recruitment of children was from us. This attack is another piece of evidence against them. They will be greatly weakened if they lose the ability to gain new recruits.>

Ax is interrupted by a fluttering of wings as a harrier flies into the house behind you. It’s Tony.

<Are you guys okay?> Tony asks.

<Yeah, we’re good,> Nate reassures him. <Ax, Jen, and Fred dealt with all the Controllers. We’re filling the deputy chief in about everything. We told him we’re Andalites>

<Are you sure that’s wise? He might go to the news and look like a crazy person.>

<I’m sure.>

<Alright, that’s your call. Anyway, I saw the cops on the way here. I think they’re about five minutes away, but there was a car blocking the road that might delay them. We should still get ready to leave though.>

<We’ll go soon. Can you go outside and keep an eye out?>

<Will do.>

<Ax, can you tell him to be discreet about all this? There should be enough evidence to prove our side of the story as well as ruining the Sharing.>

<Yes, Prince Nate,> he says to your group before returning to public speech. <We need to leave now. There is enough evidence to prove what we have said true. As long as you are careful and avoid mentioning what we have told you to anyone, you will be safe and able to do serious damage to the Yeerks.>

The deputy chief doesn’t respond, so you start getting ready to morph out. You’d like to tell him more, but it would be best not to be anywhere near here when the cops arrive, and you’ll need some time to morph human and then hawk. You move deeper into the house to make sure you’re well away from the basement and any windows. Ax acquired a red-tailed hawk like you as well as some other basic morphs at Tony’s barn, so he’s able to morph along with the rest of you.

“Wait! Are you still here?” he interrupts as you finish the morph to hawk.

<We are, but not for long,> Ax replies.

“How do I contact you?”

<We’ll be in touch if we have to,> Nate answers. <Just stay safe, and spread the word about the Sharing and what happened here.>

The deputy chief goes silent again. You’re not sure if he’s convinced, but he should be after he sees the Hork-Bajir in the woods and what happened in his house. You’d have liked to take a more active role in debriefing him. You guess Nate handled it well enough, though.

<The cops are here,> Tony says from outside. <You can make it out before they get past the car on the road if you leave now.>

<We’re going,> Nate says. He flaps his wings and lifts off. Your group follows him through the house and out of the kitchen window. The Controller from earlier is still on the ground. He’s been lying there long enough that you figure there’s no chance he’s alive. You feel a little bad for Fred, but this was inevitable. You won’t be able to stop the Yeerks without cracking some eggs.

<Good job everyone,> Nate continues. <This mission went nearly perfectly, all things considered. Hopefully this will really mess up the Sharing’s plan.>

You pass over the woods, heading due north on your way back to town. It’s getting late, and everyone will need to be getting home.

Before you get near Fred’s home, your group’s first stop, Nate contacts you.

<You did great today, from what I heard,> he says privately.

<Thanks,> you reply. You’re certain there’s something else he wants to say, but you’re not sure what to ask him. You’ll wait for him to speak first.

<I want to talk about Fred,> he continues after a brief pause.

<What about him?>

<Is he… okay? I saw the blood and bullets as well as the bodies. None of them were from a tiger, hawk, or Andalite.>

<I’m not sure. I think he’s tough, though. Maybe tougher than you realize.>

<Maybe, maybe not. I’d like to think so, but I’m not sure. I don’t know him well enough.>

<I’ve been talking to him some. I think he’ll be alright. Besides, this had to happen eventually. It will happen to the rest of you too.>

<Probably, but that doesn’t mean I like it, or that I want it to happen.>

<Neither do I, but it will.>

Fred interrupts your discussion unknowingly as he bids the group farewell. You say goodbye and continue on your way. Soon enough, you reach your house and it’s your turn to say goodbye. Your mom isn’t home, so you just fly in through the window you left open earlier.

The exhaustion from today’s activities puts you to bed early. It’s easy to fall asleep.

--

You don’t hear anything about the deputy chief until you get home from school the next day.

Your mom is sitting on the living room couch, staring intently at the TV. In the center of the screen, some cable news talking head is speaking urgently. Plastered across the bottom of the screen, bright red text in all caps reads ‘POLICE OFFICER’S HOUSE ASSAULTED BY ARMED MEMBERS OF CULT ORGANIZATION’.

You rush over, taking a seat without thinking. Your mom looks over at you. She has a ‘told-you-so’ expression on her face. You ignore it.

Looking closer, you realize this isn’t local news. It’s national. What happened yesterday might be the biggest news story in the nation today.

--

Of course, the news doesn’t have much effect on your life. You still go to school, attend swim practice, and meet with your friends.

There isn’t much for you and the other Animorphs to do. The Yeerks have totally gone to ground. Even surveilling the entrances to the Yeerk pool that you know of over the next few days yields little information, and nothing you can act on.

Ax had suggested trying to visit a nearby observatory. Apparently, one near you just added a massive radio telescope, one of the largest in the world, that he said would be capable of contacting the Andalites. Anna told him that the Andalite homeworld is many light years away and that radio telescopes don’t detect signals, they transmit them, but he just laughed and made some comment about “primitive human technology.” Unfortunately, the radio telescope is undergoing maintenance and won’t be available for at least a week or two. You tried to look up others online, but Ax insisted that the local one would be the only one worth trying to use that wasn’t in a foreign country halfway across the globe.

You also tried to reach out to the alien Fred met, but again had no luck. She gave Fred a number to contact for if your group agreed to meet her, yet when you called it, your call went straight to a default voicemail. You left a message anyway.

With nothing else to do, you’ve decided to organize something for your friends. An Animorphs weekend getaway. Anna had been on board when you suggested the idea, so all that’s left to do is pick where you want to go and convince the others, which should be easy. Everyone wants a break after the constant barrage of missions you went through.

The first idea that comes to mind is a trip to a theme park. There’s one near you, and it’s the perfect place for a day trip. Rollercoasters and cotton candy, everyone’s favorite.

The second idea is a trip to the beach. The weather is still warm, so the water is swimmable and the boardwalk is open. It’s one of your favorite places, and you’re sure the others will love it too.

The last idea is throwing a party. It wouldn’t be anything big, just the six of you (counting Ax). You have five houses to pick from, so you’re sure that someone will be able to get a night without any parents or siblings. Swimmers are notorious for parties and drinking, meaning one of your teammates will probably be able to get you plenty of cheap booze, no questions asked.

>Theme park
>Beach and boardwalk
>House party
>Write-in


Thank you all very much for being patient and have a nice day

>>4776835
>Beach and boardwalk
Swim suit episode

>>4776835
>>Theme park

>>4776835
>House party

>>4776827
>I will be posting an update for him since he was banned for reasons unknown.
I hope the ban gets lifted QM

>>4776835
>>Beach and boardwalk
Beach episode!

>>4776835
>>Beach and boardwalk
but what was the post that got him banned?

>>4776929
>>4777975
I was phoneposting and some fuck that I share a mobile network with is always getting it banned from captcha/google (not sure why) and 4chan (spamming child porn). It was the captcha this time

>>4776835
>>Beach and boardwalk

Can’t update tonight. I’ll try for 2 updates tomorrow to ameliorate my shame

>>4776837
>>4777259
>>4777975
>>4778070
>Beach and boardwalk
>>4776859
>Theme park
>>4776920
>House party

Beach episode it is. Writing

>>4776835
Your alarm wakes you early on Saturday morning. It’s the day of the trip. You still haven’t seen or heard anything from or about the Yeerks, so hopefully your good luck holds and you can enjoy a nice day at the beach with your friends.

Speaking of your friends, Tony should be here soon. He turned seventeen recently and got his license. Nobody else is old enough to drive, or even has a car, so he’ll be taking you down to the beach in his dad’s van. You were surprised his dad would let him do that, but he acted like it was no big deal. Nate seemed a little annoyed about it, though you don’t have any clue why.

For once, you’re getting up at the same time as your mom. You don’t say anything as you pass her on your way to the shower.

When you get out of the shower, you grab your bag and start packing it. It’s the same bag you always use when you’re going down the shore. On the back of it, well over a dozen beach tags are pinned. You pick up a new one every year. Though you can usually get on the beach without any tag, and fairly easily with an out of date tag, you still like to collect them as mementos. You’ll get your first one for the year today.

You go to grab some cash before you leave, only to realize that you’re out again. There’s no way you’ll mooch off your friends on a trip you organized; you’ll have to ask your mom for some.

She’s sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal and reading the newspaper. She glances up when you walk over.

“Can I borrow some cash?” you ask bluntly. You’d like to get this over with quickly.

“Borrow?” she smiles. “I know I won’t be getting it back, but I don’t mind. Just spend it wisely.”

She pulls out her purse and starts to dig into it. You’re surprised that went so easily. Of course, you’re not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If she’s in a good mood, you’ll enjoy it while it lasts. It’s only a matter of time until it changes.

Now that you’re thinking of it, she’s been in an unusually good mood since the news about the Sharing broke. They’ve been fighting it publicly through various PR people and claiming the attack on the deputy chief had nothing to do with them, but there’s only so much they can do. The people at the deputy chief’s house were almost all known Sharing members, and now it seems like countless investigations into other shady dealings of theirs are popping up every day.

It’s a massive blow to the Yeerks’ operations, but it won’t last long. When you were infiltrating them, Nate had found out that if their slow plans didn’t work, their second idea was to simply start abducting important targets to make them into Controllers. It doesn’t seem like that’s started yet, but they’ll be back. You know better than to think that this momentary embarrassment will deter the Yeerks.

File: beach2.png (7.02 MB, 4057x2705)

7.02 MB PNG

>>4781080
You don’t have time to eat breakfast. Someone is honking their horn outside, and that can only be Tony. You hesitate for a second, and then thank your mom and wave goodbye. If she’s being nice, you may as well be polite back.

Nate, Anna, and Ax have already been picked up. Anna’s riding shotgun, Nate is sitting in one of the two seats in the middle, while Ax is sitting in the back. Smart. Back there, he’s well away from any windows.

Ax seems nice, though you don’t know him particularly well. However, when he’s in human form, all bets are off. He makes weird sounds nonstop, and tries to eat everything. You had brought him out to lunch with the rest of the group once, and he tried to eat everything. The napkins, the cups, and he would have taken a bite out of the table if you hadn’t stopped him. It’ll be a handful keeping him under control on this trip, but you think the five of you will be up to it. How hard can it be, really?

Anna has a pile of maps out. It makes sense, you guess. Even though the drive to the beach should be easy, Tony is a new driver and Anna’s a habitual overpreparer.

“Don’t eat this or anything in it,” you warn Ax as you toss your bag in the back.

“In it-tuh?” he asks, poking at it. “How do I open it? Ooooo-pen.”

“It’s better you don’t know,” Nate says as you take a seat next to him.

--

The drive down to the shore goes smoothly. Traffic is light once you pick up Fred and get on the highway. Both from the early hour and how late in the season you’re going down contribute to that. Even though the weather is beautiful, few people like to go down to the beach outside of the summer. The boardwalk will still be open anyway, and that’s all that matters.

It’s still early when you arrive. The sun is low in the sky, but rising fast. The dull roar of the ocean grows louder and louder as you drive through the local town, getting closer to the beach.

Tony finds a parking spot and everyone starts to hop out. Pooling your change, you dump more than enough quarters into the parking meter for the day. Everyone takes the opportunity to stretch. The van is fairly spacious, but you still had six people and all their bags crammed in.

After a minute of this, you’re starting to get impatient.

“Let’s go!” you call out. “We’re wasting time. I want to get a sunburn and some sand in my shoes instead of standing around here all day.”

“Somebody’s bossy,” Anna laughs, but falls in line as you direct the group towards the beach and boardwalk.

You stop once you come into view of the sea. The waves are crashing against the shore, reflecting the light of the sun. Looking to your side in either direction, it seems as though the beach and boardwalk go on forever. You could almost believe that, if you started walking, you’d never reach the end of them.

>>4781082
“Let’s hop in the ocean,” Nate suggests. “It’s the perfect wake-up early in the morning.”

“That’s nice and all,” Anna replies, “but I’m here for the boardwalk. Let’s go explore. Jen and I can shop, and you boys can find an arcade or something.”

“Could we go mini-golfing?” Fred asks. “I went to a minigolf place on the boardwalk when I was a little kid, and I’ve always wanted to go back.”

“I don’t care, as long as I get something to eat,” Tony says.

“Food?” Ax predictably interjects.

You agree with Tony, and the others probably will too, but then what will you do after eating?

>Head down to the beach. You’re in the mood for a swim
>Exploring the boardwalk. There’s always something new to find and buy
>Minigolfing. Fun for everyone
>Write-in

>>4781083
>Head down to the beach. You’re in the mood for a swim

>>4781083
>>Head down to the beach. You’re in the mood for a swim

>>4781083
>>Head down to the beach. You’re in the mood for a swim

>>4781083
>>Head down to the beach. You’re in the mood for a swim

>>4781080
>Beach tag
What?
Oh how fucking American

So this is set in New Jersey?

Grim

>>4781083
>Minigolfing. Fun for everyone
>>4781140
Yeah I never heard of them before

>>4781083
>>Head down to the beach. You’re in the mood for a swim

Nate time

>>4781092
>>4781097
>>4781118
>>4781140
>>4781593
>Head down to the beach. You’re in the mood for a swim
>>4781158
>Minigolfing. Fun for everyone

Set. Writing

>>4781148
Though South Jersey is paradise and I loved growing up there, Animorphs Quest actually takes place in ambiguous american state, just like the original series

Rolled 19 (1d25)

>>4782259
I'll do it myself. We know it's coastal. I hope we roll Florida so Ax can be an official Florida Man.
1 Connecticut
2 Delaware
3 Georgia
4 Florida
5 Maine
6 Maryland
7 Massachusetts
8 New Hampshire
9 New Jersey
10 New York
11 North Carolina
12 Rhode Island
13 South Carolina
14 Virginia
16 Alaska
17 California
18 Hawaii
19 Oregon
20 Washington
21 Alabama
22 Florida
23 Louisiana
24 Mississippi
25 Texas

>>4782292
Well, Oregon does check out. That place is loaded to fuck and back with heavily wooded areas like where the Sharing would be.

File: beach1.png (353 KB, 610x458)

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>>4781083
“Let’s eat first,” you decide. “Then we should go to the beach.”

Anna grumbles a little, but the rest fall in line. There’s a nice sandwich shop near here your dad used to take you to. It’s a good replacement for breakfast.

The group starts to come alive once everyone gets something to eat. On the ride up, nobody really wanted to make conversation. None of you like waking up early, except for maybe Nate, who’s currently arguing with Tony about whether or not the Street Brawler movie will be any good. Nate is taking the position that it can’t be bad if Jean-Luc Van Janssen is in it, while Tony is arguing strenuously that there’s never been a good video game movie and never will be.

Meanwhile, Anna and Fred are discussing some play you’ve never heard of. Anna has always been nerdy, but you didn’t know she was into plays.

In between their discussions, the others are taking breaks to try and control Ax. Right now, he’s trying to drink out of the ketchup bottle.

Personally, you’re content to just sit back and enjoy your meal. It’s nice to have to just relax. You don’t think you’ve ever had this group of friends together without the spectre of the Yeerks hanging over your heads. Even though you know they’ll eventually be back, for today you can just forget about them.

Once everyone finishes eating, it’s time to go down to the beach. You stop where the road meets the boardwalk. The beach is straight ahead, but there’s a small building with glass windows for the lifeguards in between you and the beach. Though you have your collection of beach tags, the others don’t have any, and you don’t want them to have to pay.

You go ahead of the group and peek through the windows. It doesn’t look like anyone’s inside, so you glance back and wave your friends through. They hurry past, and then you’re on the beach.

Ahead of you, the sand stretches out, forward to the ocean, and to infinity on either side of you. Some short grass grows on the dunes you’re standing on, but for a hundred feet in between you and the shore, it’s completely bare.

The beach isn’t just a pretty view though. You take a deep breath in and let the sea air fill your lungs. The waves are crashing against the shore, creating a constant dull roar. A cool breeze raises goosebumps on your skin, contrasting against the warmth of the sun.

You didn’t realize how much you missed this.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” Anna asks.

“Sorry,” you smile. “It’s nice isn’t it.”

“I like it!” Ax proclaims. “It’s pretty. Pret-teeee.”

“It’s good to be back,” Nate smiles at you. “I haven’t been here in a while.”

There’s a sharp pain in your chest, but it’s not from anything physical. The last time Nate was here was probably also the last time you were here. Your dad used to take you down here all the time, and Nate’s family would often come along as well.

File: ocean.png (297 KB, 800x600)

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>>4783382
“Let’s grab a spot and drop our stuff off,” you quickly say. “I want to get into the water.”

“We need to change first,” Tony points out.

“Sure. Let’s do that then,” you say. You start walking towards the changing rooms.

--

You and Anna finish changing before the boys, so you set up camp on the beach. Towels are laid out, an umbrella is planted, and a cooler is brought out. The latter two are courtesy of Anna. She overprepares for everything. You won’t complain, though.

After a minute, you spot the boys walking down the beach towards you. Nate and Tony are frogmarching Ax. Fred is walking next to them. You wave and jog over to them.

“What took you guys so long?” you ask.

Nate and Tony look at Ax, who looks somewhat sheepish.

“These human clothes are very strange. How was I supposed to know how to put them on? Your rules about dress make no sense. For example, why are you wearing so little?” he asks you. “Aren’t humans supposed to be covered up? Covvvered. Up-puh.”

The boys groan and look alarmed. It’s as if they think you’re going to blow up.

“Not on the beach Ax,” you laugh. “For most people, it’s kind of the opposite here.”

Ax looks perplexed, while the others seem to be relieved.

“Let’s get in the ocean,” Nate says before Ax can ask another question. “I want to swim. Oh, and Ax? Please don’t drink the seawater. It’ll make you sick.”

“Can I eat these granules?” Ax asks, pointing at the sand.

“Nope,”

“Ugh!” Ax complains. “Is there anything here to eat at all?”

“I’m sure we’ll find something,” Tony says.

After the boys drop their bags off with the rest of your stuff and everyone puts on sunscreen, you head into the water. It’s shockingly cold at first. You force yourself to run further, until the water is up past your waist. Looking back, you see the rest are all shivering in barely knee-deep water, except for Nate. He’s right behind you, a massive grin on his face.

This used to be yours and his tradition. Every time you came to the beach, the two of you would swim out as far as you can before either your parents or the lifeguards made you come back in. Whoever made it out further would win. When you were little kids, you’d beat him every time. When you got older, he started beating you. If you remember right, last time you were here he beat you. It’s been a while, but you’re ready to take revenge.

“Race you out?” you ask. Before he can respond, you turn and dive into the surf.

Swimming in the ocean is nothing like swimming in a pool. In the pool, you can just count your strokes and breathe based on that. One-two-three-four-five-six-seven, breath, one-two-three-four-five-six-seven, breath.

Out here, that’s not an option. If you breathe at the wrong time, all you’ll get is a lungful of saltwater.

Instead, you have to time your breaths to the waves. Whenever you crest a wave, you catch a breath.

File: nate.png (309 KB, 512x512)

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>>4783389
You also don’t have the privilege of a pair of goggles. Instead, you keep your eyes screwed tightly shut as you power through the surf.

Your arms smoothly cut through the water while your legs power you against the current. Your body rises and falls in time with the waves, maintaining a steady heading forwards. Though each wave pushes you backwards a little, they in turn pull you out away from shore immediately afterwards.

You lift your head slightly, daring a glance ahead. Nate’s still behind you, so you bury your head again and keep trucking.

You’re starting to get a little tired from the blistering pace you’re setting, but you don’t slow down. You start to listen out for the lifeguard’s whistle. Soon enough, they’ll spot you and Nate heading for the horizon and start to get annoyed. You won’t get in trouble, of course; kids do this every day.

You hear it. A shrill whistle, coming from the shore. Glancing back, you see you’ve left Nate in the dust. All your hours at swim practice are paying off. Or maybe it’s just that he hasn’t swam since the summer at least, while you’ve been doing it every day for more years than you can count. You don’t care. What matters is that you won this time.

“You’re slow today,” you tease him as you lazily swim back to shore alongside him.

“You’re fast,” he pants. “I don’t know how you’re not exhausted after that.”

“I guess I’m just tougher than you. I bet we didn’t even go a half mile out.”

“I guess so. I missed this.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know. Coming to the beach. Racing out. All of this. We should do it more often.”

“The weather will get too cold again soon.”

“Then next summer.”

“Sure,” you say. After thinking about it a little more, you repeat yourself more confidently. “Sure. I’d like that.”

“Me too.”

--

You sunbathe with Anna after you get back to shore. The towel you’re lying on absorbs some of the water, while the sun heats the rest off of you. The boys have set up a game of spikeball, and you idly watch them play as you relax.

Ax is by far the worst player, while Nate is by far the best, so the two of them are on a team. That leaves Fred and Tony on the other team. Fred doesn’t seem to have ever played it before, but despite how awkward he can be, he does have reach. Tony is more experienced, but his shortness is working against him.

They seem to be taking the game seriously, while also having lots of fun. You’d join them if it wouldn’t unbalance the teams, or if Anna wasn’t entertaining you. In spite of being a nerd, she’s surprisingly up to date on the latest gossip at your school.

“So, how about Nate?” she abruptly changes topics. Now, you’re not so entertained.

“What about him?” you cautiously ask.

“You two seemed to have a good time, swimming out by yourselves.”

“It’s our tradition. That’s all.”

“Have you spoken to him much?”

“Today?”

File: anna.png (295 KB, 509x503)

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>>4783396
“Since we started hanging out as a group again.”

“A little.”

“And?”

“And what? What do you expect me to say?”

“Have you talked to him about…. you know?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The breakup!” she blurts, before sitting up and covering her mouth. The boys don’t seem to have heard, so she lies back down and looks at you, eyebrows raised.

“No,” you frown. “I don’t want to, either.”

“You should say something.”

“Why is this any of your business?” you snap. “I don’t have anything to say about it. That’s all.”

She doesn’t respond. You probably came across more harshly than you intended.

“Sorry,” you say.

“It’s fine,” she says. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“...Why did you want to know?” you ask after a brief silence.

“I think Nate might still be upset about it.”

“Why do you think that? He seems fine to me.”

“Well… don’t tell anybody about this, but Nate spoke to Tony about it in confidence, and then Tony spoke to me about it, also in confidence, and now I’m talking to you about it. In confidence of course.”

“Remind me not to share any secrets with you,” you sigh. You know that Anna would keep them, of course, but you still don’t really like the way people talk about these things.

“Sure. You should still talk to him though.”

“About what? ‘I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you for six months? I’m sorry I, I don’t know, melted down after my dad died and cut you off’?”

“Maybe something along those lines,” she smiles.

You give her a look.

“Sorry. Bad joke. Anyway, you should say something. He’ll be mature about it, and it’ll be good to clear the air.”

“Did Tony say that?”

“Pretty much,” she freely admits.

“I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

A chorus of yells interrupts you. You glance back to the boys just in time to see Nate lay out to make a desperate save. He just barely makes it, sending the ball into the air. Ax blindly swipes at it, missing it the first time, and then smacking into the ground on his second attempt. Nate groans while Tony and Fred cheer.

“Hey!” Anna yells. “Nice save. Now that you’re done, can we please get out of the sun and onto the boardwalk?”

“Sure!” Tony calls back. Nate is busy complaining to Ax, while Fred is jumping up and down in delight.

You start to pack up your belongings with Anna. You might come back to the beach later today, but you’ll change and drop everything off at Tony’s van while you’re on the boardwalk.

File: Fred and Tony.png (447 KB, 1016x506)

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>>4783399
“Do you guys want to go minigolfing?” Fred asks the group after you finish packing up.

“Sure,” Tony says.

“What’s minigolfing? Mini. Golf. Does that mean golf is another human game?” Ax asks.

“Yeah, and megagolf too,” Anna jokes. Ax has a look of consternation on his face, evidently uncertain what to make of that.

“You should demorph first,” Nate says. “We can stop by the changing rooms again on our way back. I’m not going minigolfing though. I want to pick up some gifts for my family while I’m here.”

“Me neither,” Anna says. “I’m going shopping. Want to come with Jen? We haven’t done anything with just the two of us in ages”

It looks like the group is splitting up. Who will you go with?

>“I’ll go mingolfing. It’ll be fun.”
>“Mind if I tag along Nate? I have some stuff to pick up.” It’s as good an opportunity as any to talk things over with him
>“Sure, let’s go shopping. You guys can have fun without us.”
>Write-in

Forgot that it was a new thread and I should be reposting the character art. I'll include Ax in the next update.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>4783403
1 = “I’ll go mingolfing. It’ll be fun.”
2 = “Mind if I tag along Nate? I have some stuff to pick up.” It’s as good an opportunity as any to talk things over with him

>>4783403
>Sure, let’s go shopping. You guys can have fun without us.”

catch up with our cousin

>>4782259
>Animorphs Quest actually takes place in ambiguous american state, just like the original series
didn't Jake reveal it was set in California in the second last book?

>>4783403
>>“Sure, let’s go shopping. You guys can have fun without us.”
It's been a while since we've spent time with her.

>>4783461
Jen isn't related to Anna
>>4783469
I thought that them living in California was true, but never mentioned in series. I looked it up and you're right.

>>4783469
>California
Oh, that's fucking disgusting.
No wonder the Yeerks had an easy time getting as many hosts as they did.
You gotta wonder how many of the yeerks got fucked up by druggie hosts with drugs still in their system, though.

File: animorphs.gif (487 KB, 480x360)

487 KB GIF

>>4783513
we missed on the Animorphs recruiting a bunch of hard thugging Bloods to help fight the yeerks though

>>4783516
>Animorphs but Elfangor landed in 18th Street Westside in LA and ended up recruiting hardened gang members
>Visser 3 shows up and promptly gets gunned the fuck down by someone with a mac 10

>>4783403
>>“Mind if I tag along Nate? I have some stuff to pick up.” It’s as good an opportunity as any to talk things over with him

Let's sort things with Nate.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4783441
>>4784033
>“Mind if I tag along Nate? I have some stuff to pick up.” It’s as good an opportunity as any to talk things over with him
>>4783461
>>4783479
>“Sure, let’s go shopping. You guys can have fun without us.”

1 for Nate, 2 for Anna

fuck off Nate

File: boardwalk1.png (514 KB, 1200x630)

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>>4783403
“Actually, do you mind if I tag along with you Nate?” you ask.

“Sure, if Anna doesn’t mind getting left behind,” he jokes.

“I’ll survive without your fashion advice somehow. Have fun,” she says, giving you a meaningful look, though you can’t figure out exactly what she’s trying to say. Probably something to do with your talk earlier about Nate.

“Then I guess it’s just us three for minigolf,” Fred says to Ax and Tony. “We’ll see you guys later.”

“Later,” you wave as they start walking. Anna sets off on the boardwalk in the opposite direction, leaving you and Nate.

“Where do we start?” you ask him.

“I need to pick up something nice for my mom, probably jewelry, some fudge for my dad, and then maybe some clothes or something for my brother and sister,” he lists.

“It’s a good thing I decided to come along, then.”

“Why?”

“Do you really think you’d be able to pick out something nice for your mom and sister without me?”

“Probably not,” he chuckles and shrugs.

“What do you want to start with?”

“We can start with the gift for my mom, then whatever we decide on for my siblings, and get the fudge last. We’ll get some extra fudge to split.”

“Sounds nice. Follow me.”

You lead Nate down the boardwalk. There’s a place you have in mind that sells good jewelry cheaply. At least, as cheap as you can get decent jewelry.

The boardwalk is barely crowded in comparison to a typical summer day, but there are still plenty of shoppers and beachgoers looking for food. Stores blare advertisements through external speakers, while giant signs advertise a dizzying array of goods. Ice cream, lemonade, arcades, a novelty store full of souvenirs. It’s a lot to take in, so you just let it pass you by as you walk slowly next to Nate. Families and groups of kids running from store to store pass you by. You just keep going at your own pace. You know where you’re going, and there’s no need to rush.

Conversation with Nate is easy. For a time, you fill it with casual discussion about sports and your friends. It fits the easygoing mood you have today.

“So,” Nate fills a lull in the conversation, “we never talked about last weekend.”

“What’s there to say?” you lower your voice, making sure you’re well away from anyone else on the boardwalk that might overhear. “I thought it went perfectly.”

“Sure. We saved someone’s life and exposed the Sharing, but do you not mind that we had to kill people to do that? I wasn’t there for the fight, but I saw the bodies in the house, and the Hork-Bajir in the woods.”

“It’s not my first choice, but it had to be done. It’s us or them. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill us, and I won’t hesitate to do the same to them.”

“That’s all well and good, but did you talk to Ax and Fred afterwards?”

“Not really. Why? They seemed fine to me.”

>>4785360
“They’re trying to come across tough, like it didn’t affect them, but I’m not so sure.”

“I don’t think it’s an act. Ax is an Andalite, it’s what his people do. Fred’s tougher than you’re giving him credit for, too.”

“Ax never saw combat before he met us. He might be an Andalite, but I don’t think he’s all that different. I don’t know about Fred, but do you really think he can brush off killing people and almost dying?”

“I got over it,” you bluntly say. “They will too.”

“I hope so,” he frowns.

“We’re here,” you change topics, turning to head into the jewelry store. “What are you looking to get her? A necklace? Earrings?”

“Uhh… I’m not sure. What do you think?”

You had been hoping that he’d just have you go over a couple of pieces he thought were nice, but evidently not. Instead, you have to walk him through the whole process. It’s not so bad, though. You enjoy shopping, and it’s nice to not have to worry about spending your own money.

While you help Nate shop, you think about what he said regarding Ax and Fred. You hadn’t thought about it since Nate asked you the same question about Fred after the fight at the deputy chief’s house. Your answer was the same then as it is now: that Fred will be fine, that he’ll get used to it. You’re fairly sure it’s true, but you still reevaluate it.

Even though Fred is committed, is he committed enough to get past this? Killing isn’t as big of a deal as Nate makes it seem, but it’s still not something you ever want to do again. Does Fred feel more strongly about it than you? Strongly enough to reconsider being part of the team?

That leads you to wonder about Ax. He seems to only care about stopping the Yeerks and avenging his brother. However, you can’t say much else about him for sure. Does he grow tired of being among humans? If a chance to return to his homeworld and leave you all behind came up, would he take it?

You think you know the answers to these questions, but they might just be what you want to be true. The thought is disconcerting. Maybe you’ll ask Fred and Ax next time you see them.

“I think I’m settled on this, then,” Nate points at a necklace, interrupting your thoughts. “You think she’ll like it, right?”

“Yeah,” you say. “It’s great.”

“I’ll get it then,” he decides, not seeming to mind the price tag. He really cares about his mom. That, or it's his parents’ money he’s spending.

Once he pays, you stop in the first clothing shop you see. He’s just picking up some novelty clothes for his siblings, so it doesn’t have to be anything particularly nice. You still make sure that the clothes are decent, of course.

After that, it’s time to buy fudge. Nate already knows what he’s buying, so you don’t interfere, besides making sure he gets extra. Once he gets what he came for, you head outside and find a table to sit at.

>>4785361
For a minute, you snack in silence. The fudge is delicious, and you eat slowly, trying to make it last. Unfortunately, you still finish your portion far too quickly.

Nate leans back in his chair, a contented smile on his face. You lean forward, resting your head on the table and looking out to sea.

Your thoughts drift back to what Anna told you earlier, about Nate and the breakup. It’s as good a time as any to bring it up, but what are you going to say?

>Start with an apology. What you did to him wasn’t fair, no matter what was going on in your life
>Just ask him about it. See what he says, and let him set the pace of the conversation
>Explain what was happening in your life at the time. You don’t need to do anything else
>Write-in

>>4785363
>Just ask him about it. See what he says, and let him set the pace of the conversation

>>4785363
>>Just ask him about it. See what he says, and let him set the pace of the conversation

>>4785363
>>Start with an apology. What you did to him wasn’t fair, no matter what was going on in your life

>>4785363
I also think we should ask him what he thinks we should do about Fred and Ax. He might have some useful advice but it also shows that we're listening to him and taking his concerns on board.

>>4785363
>>4785363
>>Just ask him about it. See what he says, and let him set the pace of the conversation

Also >>4785468+1

>>4785363
>>Start with an apology. What you did to him wasn’t fair, no matter what was going on in your life
Lets clear the air here.
>>4785468
+1 on this too

>>4785363
>>Start with an apology. What you did to him wasn’t fair, no matter what was going on in your life

>>4785363
>>Start with an apology. What you did to him wasn’t fair, no matter what was going on in your life

>>4785377
>>4785424
>>4785629
>Just ask him about it. See what he says, and let him set the pace of the conversation
>>4785466
>>4785743
>>4786623
>>4786752
>Start with an apology. What you did to him wasn’t fair, no matter what was going on in your life

Set. Writing.

>>4785468
>>4785629
>>4785743
Going to include this write-in too

>>4785363
First, you’ll make sure the topic of Ax and Fred is sorted out. Then you should apologize. It’s the right thing to do.

“What do you think we should do about Ax and Fred?” you ask.

“I’m not sure,” he honestly replies. “Maybe what we’re doing now is the right thing. You know, just relaxing like this. Giving them time to decompress. It might still be best to talk to them about it, though.”

“Have you done that?”

“Talk to them?”

“Yeah. You asked me if I had. Have you?”

“I haven’t,” he frowns.

“You should, then. Take your own advice.”

“You’re right. I should have done that already. I’m just not used to taking responsibility like that.”

“Really? You’ve always seemed responsible to me.”

“Maybe, but not like this. Not when there’s people’s lives on the line. I don’t know if you guys should trust me like that. I don’t know if I trust myself like that. It’s a lot of pressure.”

He’s being very open today. It’s a good thing you asked him that.

You do trust him, and you think the others do too. Ax even calls him ‘Prince Nate’. He hasn’t led anyone astray yet, either. You’d like to reassure him, yet he did mention that he’s under pressure. You can’t tell if telling him you trust him will make him feel better, or make him more nervous.

“I think you’re doing a good job so far,” you play it safely.

“Thanks,” he says.

The conversation is gone again. He’s still leaning back in his chair, while you’re still looking out to sea.

Now’s as good a time as any to bring up the breakup. You’re anxious about discussing it with him, but you can’t avoid it anymore.

“Can we talk about something serious?” you ask.

“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?” he smiles. “What is it?”

“I want to talk about the breakup.”

His smile vanishes. If you’re being honest, you’re not sure that ‘breakup’ is even the right word. There was no fight or decision that it was over. You just stopped talking to him. It had been a hard time in your life; your dad was gone in an instant. Your relationship with your mom was worse than ever. You felt trapped, and couldn’t handle seeing him. Maybe you didn’t want him judging you for what your life had become, or maybe you were scared that you’d lose him too. Either way, you cut him off, and eventually lost him. Things are different now, but you can’t deny that the guilt and shame you experienced at the time are still hanging over you.

“Well?” he quietly prompts you. “What about it?”

“I’m sorry,” you say, still looking at the ocean. You can’t meet his gaze right now. “I shouldn’t have done that to you. You were trying to help me when I needed it, and I turned you away. No matter what was happening, I shouldn’t have done that. I fucked up.”

>>4787701
He doesn’t respond. You sneak a glance at him, only to see he’s still leaning back in his chair, looking at the sky. It seems he doesn’t want to meet your eyes either.

“It’s not your fault,” he says emotionlessly after a long silence. “You were going through a tough time.”

“What? Of course it was my fault. I don’t have any excuses.”

You can’t tell what he’s thinking. He just keeps looking upwards, face expressionless. You feel the urge to continue, to explain everything you did wrong, how awful you feel for what you did to him, even if you’ve never really put it into words before. Though obviously you’ve felt bad about what happened before, you’ve never felt such keen guilt. Something about the way he’s sitting there, unwilling to say more or even look at you, is so uncharacteristic of him that you know that this affects him as deeply.

“Then I’m sorry too,” he says, sitting forward and looking at you again. His mask slips, and a perfect mirror of your emotions falls onto his face. He looks crushed, and guilty at the same time too.

“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I did. Sure, I called you, but I never made the effort to do anything else. I never tried to come to your house. I never tried to talk to your mom, or your sister, or Anna. I left you some voicemails, that’s all. I guess I didn’t know how to help you, so I did enough to not feel guilty, and that was it. You can probably tell it didn’t work.”

“That’s not your fault,” you repeat his words from earlier. You don’t know what else to say.

“Maybe. I don’t think so, though. I could have done more, and I should have done more. We might not be having this conversation if I had.”

Nothing you had expected him to say was even remotely similar to this. You had no idea he felt this way. He’s wrong, but you can’t find the words for an argument. All you can manage is to repeat yourself another time.

“You can’t blame yourself, Nate. It’s not your fault.”

“I’d say the same thing to you.”

You can’t keep looking at him. You rest your head on your hand, and turn it to look at the water again. The waves are still coming, oblivious of anything that might be happening on land.

“Why did you want to talk about it?” he asks.

“Anna mentioned it.”

“Did she hear about it from Tony?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“I said to him that I was still thinking about it. I should have known that he would find a way for it to get to you.”

“Are you mad at him?”

“Not really. I’m a little annoyed that he thinks he knows best about these things, but maybe he was right to do it. This was inevitable. It’s good that we’ve cleared the air, at least.”

“I didn’t know you felt the way you did. I thought you’d blame me.”

“I thought you’d blame me too,” he weakly laughs. “Where does this leave us, then?”

“I don’t know.”

>>4787704
“I don’t know.”

You suppose you’re happy with this outcome. You still can’t believe he thinks it’s his fault, but that’s just who he is. He always wants to put everything on his shoulders. You’re not so different in that regard, though you still fully believe that what happened was your fault.

“Want to go track down the others then?” he asks.

“It beats sitting here,” you grin.

---

You catch Anna walking down the boardwalk in the opposite direction, laden down with clothes and souvenirs. With her, you walk over to the minigolf place, just in time to meet Ax, Fred, and Tony.

“These human games make little sense,” Ax tries to convince the others while they do their best to hold back laughter. “Why do you try to have a low score instead of a high one?”

“It’s all part of the game,” Tony sagely says, provoking more complaining from Ax.

“It looks like you all had fun,” Nate remarks.

“We did. How about you?” Fred asks.

“Sure did,” Nate simply says.

Tony’s phone chirps. He pulls it out of his pocket and glances at the screen.

“Shit,” he grimaces.

“What?” the rest of the group collectively asks.

“My dad wants me to bring the van home.”

“I thought we had it all day?” Nate asks.

“I thought so too,” Tony shrugs. “Is everyone ready to go? I really can’t delay.”

Though nobody is happy with the early end to the day, it isn’t too long before you were going to need to leave anyway. All you’re missing is a couple extra hours on the beach, and keeping Tony out of trouble is more important than that.

Fred is whispering to Ax on the way home. It seems like Fred is trying to convince Ax about something. You’re curious, so you interrupt.

“What are you two whispering about?” you ask.

“Nothing!” Ax says.

“It’s not nothing,” Fred pushes Ax. “Come on, tell them.”

The rest of the group is looking at them now. Ax looks uncomfortable.

“Well, Fred mentioned early that all telephone numbers in this nation are registered,” Ax says.

“Yeah, what about it?” Anna replies.

“Well, if that’s the case, and the registries are electronic,” Ax explains, “then I should be able to find where the number Fred’s alien gave him leads to. To. Tuh-oo.”

“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Nate asks.

“I thought communication in this manner was a new technology. I didn’t expect there to be a central registry we could view.”

“We should get on that as soon as we get home,” Nate says. “Can you get into them online?”

“No. I will have to view them in person. Purse-un.”

“The AP&C building would have those,” Anna says. “Security might be tight, but I’m sure we could find a way to get inside.”

“Isn’t the observatory opening again soon?” Tony asks. “We should contact the Andalites before anything else.”

>>4787706
“Maybe,” Nate says. “I was also thinking about trying to kidnap one of the Controllers we’ve identified so far. None of them are anyone important, but if we get them close to when they’re supposed to go back to the pool, we could pressure their Yeerk into giving up more important Controllers and maybe even where their Kandrona is.”

You’ve kept quiet, but now you feel the need to interject. The question is, how are you going to sway the argument?

>“We need to know who that alien was and what they want. Let’s track them down.”
>“It’s time to contact the Andalites. Their arrival is what we’re trying to buy time for, after all.”
>“Let’s grab a Controller. Hitting the Yeerks where it hurts is most important.”
>Write-in

>>4787709
>>“We need to know who that alien was and what they want. Let’s track them down.
pretty sure its the chee

>>4787709
>>“We need to know who that alien was and what they want. Let’s track them down.”

>>4787710
Man, stopped reading the books before the Cher came up. They sound based af
>The Chee couldn't save [their creators], so in order to keep part of the Pemalites alive, they harbored their essence into an Earth creature much like them - wolves. It is from that union that the happy-go-lucky domesticated dog was born
>They have been around about the time Pyramids of Giza were erected, and have a secret underground hideout where they take care of stray dogs, which remind them of their long dead creators.
I hope its them.

>>4787709
>“We need to know who that alien was and what they want. Let’s track them down.”
>”One of these days I’m gonna force one of you guys to break the tie for once. You all would be stuck in a lock without me.”

>>4787709
>“We need to know who that alien was and what they want. Let’s track them down.”

>>4787709
>>“We need to know who that alien was and what they want. Let’s track them down.”

>>4787709
>>“It’s time to contact the Andalites. Their arrival is what we’re trying to buy time for, after all.”

>>4787727
>One of these days I’m gonna force one of you guys to break the tie for once. You all would be stuck in a lock without me.”
Note that they actually aren't in a tie this time. You're just getting your input in. Obviously, Jen will argue for whatever you pick, and sway enough of the others that the group will pursue that idea next. Trying to balance reader input with having a group in universe is tough. I try to make it so that the rest of the group gets their input in, and there will be times like the mission to the capital where you have to pick between what the rest of the group wants (going after Berenson) and what Jen wants (going to the zoo). However, this is ultimately a quest based on what the voters decide, so the group will generally go along with what you guys decide in these votes (within reason).

No update tonight, sorry

>>4787710
>>4787719
>>4787727
>>4787730
>>4787755
>“We need to know who that alien was and what they want. Let’s track them down.”
>>4788110
>“It’s time to contact the Andalites. Their arrival is what we’re trying to buy time for, after all.”

Set. Writing

>>4787709
“We need to know who that alien was and what they want,” you say. “Let’s track them down.”

“I think so too,” Nate nods. “I don’t like knowing there’s someone out there that knows our names, and not knowing who that is. Ax, do you have any idea what aliens we might be dealing with?”

“Again, I do not know,” Ax explains. “It could be any of dozens of species. Zzzzens. However, I can’t think of any that match perfectly.”

The others don’t have much to add. You’re not sure if it’s because they agree, or because they’ll just go along with whatever you and Nate have decided. You’re also not sure which you’d prefer. Maybe it’s a little of both.

The drive back home is otherwise short and uneventful. The roads are mostly clear of traffic, greatly shortening your trip. Once you’re back in town, everyone promises to meet up as soon as there’s a break from school. Though you’d prefer to track down the phone records right now, you understand that keeping up everyone’s cover is more important.

Mom is inside when you get home. She doesn’t say anything to you, and you do the same.

The others aren’t able to meet for at least a week. They must be making up for the time you all spent going on missions and neglecting their day-to-day obligations. You focus on swimming and catching up on schoolwork during the week. If you’re not going to be hunting Yeerks this week, you may as well do something productive. It’s a slog, but you’ll manage.

You’ve been feeling more and more bored with your normal life. No matter how good you are as a swimmer compared to other humans, it’s nothing compared to being a dolphin. Doing homework can’t come anywhere near matching the mental stimulation of planning missions. Making small talk with teachers and classmates is trivial when you spent an entire day and night infiltrating an organization that wanted nothing except to put a Yeerk in your head.

You’d never thought you’d think this, but you miss the thrill. You long to hunt your prey, to smell their fear on the air as you stalk them. The nightmares you used to have of being hunted by Visser 3 or other Controllers aren’t half as frequent as they used to be, though they still occur occasionally. Instead, you dream of being a tiger, fighting Controllers, and coming out on top again and again by the skin of your teeth.

It’s disconcerting. The others all seem nervous about the prospect of facing combat again, while you can’t stop looking forward to it. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, you can’t say. All you know is that you don’t plan on mentioning it anytime soon. It’s best if the others think you feel the same way as them.

>>4791571
Some of the others are free during the week, but it’s still impossible to find a time for everyone to meet. All you can do is arrange for people, yourself included, to surveil the AP&C building in flight morph whenever possible. It’s tall, but not nearly tall enough to be considered a skyscraper. A couple hundred people work there. Workers come in, sign in at the front desk, and then disappear into the building until their shift ends. Unfortunately, the windows are tinted, so you can’t see what goes on inside.

You don’t manage to find any glaring flaw in its defenses, but a few possible plans come up while investigating.

First is an idea Tony proposed. You could all acquire and morph flies. It’s the perfect way to infiltrate the building without anyone knowing any better. After all, what office building doesn’t have at least a couple airborne pests? It’s discreet and effective, but there are some issues you can see. You would need to navigate in an unfamiliar morph lacking strong senses in a building you’ve never been inside of. Then, you would need to find the registry and demorph when you reach it. You would also be vulnerable to getting swatted, assuming you can’t manage to stay well away from any humans.

The second idea is one Nate proposed. He’s put together a list of employees he’s noticed coming in regularly, and somehow found their positions at the company. Based on that, he proposed acquiring them (presumably in their sleep), finding a way to stop them from coming in to work, and then simply walking in the door morphed into them. He already tracked down their addresses and found various ways to stop them from coming in, including slashed tires and faked emergencies. You would only need Ax and one other in morph to get inside and track down the registry. The rest of your group can morph flies and ride along. Nate’s confident that it will work, but Tony has been arguing against it, as he vehemently opposes morphing someone else without their consent. It seems like a good and well-reasoned plan to you, but you’re still not sure it’s the best option.

The last idea is one you came up with yourself. By simply assuming your combat morphs, you should be able to smash your way in, grab what you need, and leave. It seems risky, but you think it’s actually the safest of the three options. You’ve surveyed the building’s security carefully and there are only a few security officers armed with handguns. More than enough to stop common criminals, but nowhere near what they’d need to stop your group. It’s flashy and attention grabbing, yet it poses the least risk of getting caught in morph or killed. Besides, if you do it well, it’ll also be the fastest option.

>Fly morphs (Tony’s plan)
>Human morphs (Nate’s plan)
>Combat morphs (your plan)
>Write-in

>>4791575
>Dragonfly morphs. They have really good eyesight, very stable flight, can fly very quickly, and if you stick to the ceilings nobody would normally see you. It's more noticeable than a fly would be, but people don't usually swat dragonflies, and the superior senses would help you avoid being noticed more actively - not to mention how much it'd help in finding what you're looking for to begin with.
Seriously, look up dragonfly facts. These are one of the best insects ever created.

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>>4791634

Based and dragonfly-pilled

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272 KB PNG

>>4791734
Even if you wanted to swat a dragonfly, if it had a human mind piloting it, the task would be extremely difficult. These things can move hella quickly, turn on a dime, and they see shit much quicker than humans do.

>>4791575
>>4791575
Hmm. I'm unsure about this.
Put me down as a tentative vote for the dragonfly idea.

Do we need up go in during the day? I imagine the building would be closed or at least lightly staffed at night which would reduce the risk of being spotted.

>>4791809
Doors are shut and locked at night. Security is lighter, but still present.

>>4791575
Supporting Dragonflies. Regular flies don't have good enough senses and someone might ask question if the person we keep from their jobs calls to say they're not coming in

>>4791963
>Doors are shut and locked at night
So not a problem for insects, right?

>>4792133
It would be easiest to just fly in as they're closing. You don't think you could squeeze your way in under a door after they lock up if you're a dragonfly, but there's probably a way in through a vent that you could find.

>>4791575
>>Human morphs (Nate’s plan)

The fly/dragon fly plan has me incredibly nervous. A stray swat could kill us. I don't like the idea of dying so easily. Not to mention navigating a strange place as a fly/dragon fly will be hell.

The combat plan will draw LOTS of attention and might kill innocents.

Nate's plan seems to have the highest chance of success.

>>4793408
Navigating it as a dragonfly would actually be ostensibly easier than as a human. Dragonflys have VERY good vision.

>>4791634
>>4791734
>>4791809
>Dragonfly
>>4793408
>Human morph

Set. Writing

>>4792090
Forgot to count this anon's vote, but it's for dragonflies so no difference. I also forgot to ask for rolls, so I did it offscreen for you guys and ended up with 2 successes. Sorry about that.

>>4791575
The idea comes to you when you’re going through possible plans with the team in Tony’s barn.

It’s flying around the barn, swapping directions in an instant as it hunts its prey. It has two gigantic compound eyes, and its body is a brilliant blue green color. It’s beautiful, deadly, and unmistakably a dragonfly.

“What about one of these?” you say, pointing to it.

“What?” Tony asks.

“The dragonfly. It’s like the flies, but faster and more maneuverable.”

“That’s right,” he says, looking at it consideringly. “They have better vision too. I think they might be our best bet, then.”

“What about the human morphs?” Nate frowns. “I really think they’d be our best option.”

“Like I said, there’s no way I’m letting that happen,” Tony objects. “We’d be as bad as the Yeerks if we went through with it.”

“I’m not sure I agree with that,” you interject before Nate can continue the argument, “but I do think that the dragonflies are safer and easier than human morphs. All it would take is one person calling into work at the wrong time or deciding to get a taxi when their car doesn’t start.”

“Jen’s right,” Anna quickly says. “It’s the best idea. Besides, I really don’t want to morph someone else.”

She nervously laughs after finishing speaking. You’re not sure if she actually agrees, or if she’s just trying to avoid using a human morph. Truth be told, you don’t care as long as she’s backing up your idea.

Nate looks at Fred and Ax. Fred studiously remains silent, while Ax, in his original Andalite form, is busy reading some book. Glancing at the cover, you see that it’s an almanac of some sort.

“Fine,” Nate throws his arms up. “Just as long I don’t end up squished, I won’t complain.”

“You won’t,” Tony reassures him. “Dragonflies are way too fast for that.”

Once Nate is on board, the next step is actually catching the dragonfly. It seems intent on proving Tony correct, neatly avoiding all six of you each and every time you try to catch it.

After an extended and embarrassing period of struggling to catch one insect, Anna puts an end to things. She takes the flies you’d caught early out of their glass jar, squishes them, and then puts them down on the wooden stool you’d been sitting on earlier. You’ve all already acquired them.

From there, it’s only a matter of time until the dragonfly lands to feast on the meal you’ve laid out for it. Then, Ax strikes. His tail lashes out so quickly you don’t see anything but a blur. When you next look at the dragonfly, half of its wings have been neatly severed, leaving it completely unable to escape. It’s a good thing you only need the animal you’re acquiring to be alive, and not fully intact.

After everyone acquires the dragonfly, you clear it away, tossing its body into the grass outside. You have everything you’ll need for tonight’s mission.

>>4793959
After a short flight, you find yourselves outside the AP&C building in hawk morph. The first step of the mission is getting inside the building.

You land along with your friends in a small collection of trees near the parking lot. The cover here isn’t ideal, and you have to sit very close to everyone else. but almost all of the day workers have left already, There won’t be any prying eyes catching you morphing. Regardless, you still try to make the morph quick, though not too quick. You still remember your disastrous attempt in the capital to force yourself through a morph as fast as possible. You’d ended up trapped between morphs for an uncomfortably long period of time, and only managed to fix yourself with Fred’s help.

You put those thoughts aside. Now is not the time to be psyching yourself out. Instead, you just relax and let the morph back to human proceed naturally.

The morph is relatively quick and easy, a benefit of your continued practice with morphing over the past few weeks. Though Fred still puts the rest of you to shame, you’ve improved by leaps and bounds. Instead of an extended process full of disgusting grinding, sloshing, and cracking sounds, it’s a relatively quick and simple transformation. At least, as quick and simple as morphing goes, which isn’t saying much.

After you finish the morph back, you take a minute to make sure the others are ready as well as to let the wave of fatigue pass. Morphing is always tiring. Then, you begin the morph to dragonfly.

You can say without a shred of doubt that this is by far the most disgusting morph you’ve tried. While you were still at Tony’s barn, you all practiced the morph at least once, but that was out of sight of each other. You hadn’t been able to see yourself morph either, leaving only an array of disgusting sounds as well as the feeling of your body shifting as indications as to what was happening.

Now, as close to each other as you are, there’s no avoiding what comes next. Tony’s eyes bulge out of his head, before fracturing into a million different lenses. Nate collapses as his legs and arms narrow into thin black sticks, before two more burst from his torso. Two gigantic wings tear free from Ax’s body, looking comically oversized before they start shrinking alongside the rest of his body.

Your group lets out a chorus of yelps and shrieks, with even Ax letting out a wordless burst of alarm through thoughtspeech, before the morphing process renders all of you unable to speak. It’s impossible to tell what’s happening to your own body, but after looking at the others, you’re glad you can’t make anything out.

Finally, they disappear from your sight as the ground starts to shoot towards you. No, you realize, the ground isn’t rushing towards you, but you’re falling to meet it. Your body is getting smaller and smaller, and the same thing must be happening to everyone else.

>>4793963
Your eyes are still human, and you can only imagine how horrific a pair of human eyes on a much-too-large dragonfly’s body would look. Then, they burst out of your newly-formed carapace, expanding to grant you 360 degree vision. It takes a second to get accustomed to, but your vision becomes more clear as the morph finishes, revealing a truly massive jungle around you, as well as five other dragonflies.

<Wow,> Fred says. <Everything is so big.>

<I don’t ever want to do this morph again,> Anna says. <At least, not while seeing you guys do it too.>

<Agreed,> Tony says.

<We do what we have to,> Nate replies. <Now, which way is the building?>

Nobody seems to know, so you take flight. You don’t even have to think about it; you just choose to fly and your body does the rest. Your wings are so fast you can barely even tell what they’re doing. They must be beating dozens of times more per second than your wings as a hawk. In fact, though you hadn’t realized this until now, a dragonfly is nothing like a hawk. The muscles, the wings, and even the mechanics of flight are completely different. They’re as comparable as a hang glider and a fighter jet, and though you’d have expected the opposite, the dragonfly is definitely the jet.

You shoot through the jungle like a bullet, gargantuan leaves and branches flying closely past you almost too quickly to process. You break free into the open air, and take in the sights. The dragonfly’s eyes are incredibly sharp and let you see everything nearby. However, they don’t do nearly well with things outside of a few feet away from you. The best you can tell is that the large grey blur blocking part of the sky must be the AP&C building.

<Follow me,> you say to the others, whom you can see close behind you. This vision is really incredible for things nearby.

There hadn’t been any instincts to speak of in this morph until you took flight. Then, a strange feeling started rising inside of you. It took you a moment to realize what it was: hunger. You very, very badly would like something to eat. Right now, nothing sounds more appealing than a fly or two to snack on.

You force yourself to put those thoughts aside and focus on the mission. The others are still following close behind you as you power towards the building. The dragonfly is blindingly fast for an insect of its size, and the distance closes rapidly. However, the hunger is impossible to banish. It comes in exchange for this form’s incredible speed and maneuverability.

Things clear up once you reach the building. You’re able to peer through some of the windows, and though details are unclear, you can tell that you’re outside of the lobby. From that, you’re able to deduce approximately where the front door should be.

>>4793965
Continuing to fly forwards, you find it. It’s closed, and you don’t want to try squeezing through a crack, but that’s no problem. It’s early in the evening, so there are still a few people in the office yet to leave for the day and you’ll get in as soon as they open the door.

<That’s the door,> Nate confirms what you already knew. <Can we land? I feel like I’m starving already.>

<Sure,> you say, touching down on a ridge that separates two windows. Almost immediately the sense of hunger dissipates. Like you thought, flying makes this form extremely hungry.

You don’t have to wait long. The door swings open as a man steps out and you seize the opportunity. The others follow you inside, and just like that the first step of the mission is complete.

The reaction speed of this morph is much faster than that of your human or even tiger morphs. It’s a strange, but welcome feeling.

Jetting through the lobby, you make it to a signpost and land again. The building seems almost empty, except for the blur of a person packing up their things at the front desk.

<It says the main registry is on the third floor,> Anna explains as she hovers next to the signpost. <Let’s go.>

You trust her judgment and follow her as she leads everyone through the building. It’s a good thing this morph has eyes good enough to read a sign, though the hunger is sort of starting to drive you crazy.

The distance between you and your destination is truly gigantic in relative terms, though you manage to cover it in just a couple in minutes. This form really is shockingly quick. You can only compare it to running a dozen miles in two minutes as a human.

You make sure to take note of the layout of the third floor when you reach it. Along the outside of the floor are various offices and storage rooms. Hallways connect them to each other and the massive central room. A couple security guards patrol the hallways intermittently.

The registry is stored inside the central room. Inside, endless rows of computer banks stand like soldiers on parade. Dragonflies have no sense of sound, so you can only detect the countless fans whirring through steady and omnipresent vibrations in the air. Lights blink on and off all around you.

<What are we looking for?> Nate asks.

<A keyboard, or a monitor,> Anna answers. <Anywhere it looks like Ax might be able to login.>

<Tactile interfaces are so primitive,> Ax complains. <It’s a wonder you humans manage so well without thoughtspeech.>

<We survive somehow,> Tony drily remarks. <Will this work?>

It takes you a second to pick out which dragonfly he is. He’s sitting on a keyboard you hadn’t noticed. Next to it is a powered off monitor.

<That will do,> Ax states.

<Alright, Ax demorph,> Nate says. <Everyone else, let’s head into the hallways and make sure the security guards don’t check in here.>

>>4793967
You follow his lead, leaving Ax to do whatever he needs to do. The group spreads out once you get out of the room, but you end up flying next to Anna. The hallways aren’t large enough for you two to split as well.

The flight is silent. You’re more focused on trying to control this hunger. It’s getting worse the more you fly around. You refuse to grab one of the flies you’ve spotted around the building. You would rather endure than eat an insect.

That won’t stop Anna, you realize. She’s veering away from you and towards a fly sharing the hallway with the two of you.

<Hey, you can’t be that hungry,> you tease her.

She doesn’t respond, instead continuing to close the distance to the fly. The dragonfly’s instincts must have taken over!

You send your wings into overdrive. No matter how hungry she is, you know she’d be sick later if she lost control and ate a fly.

The distance between you closes rapidly, but she’s also getting closer to the fly. Putting on one last burst of speed, you manage to hit her from behind, knocking her of course.

The fly senses a disturbance in the air and buzzes away from the two of you.

<Hey!> she exclaims. <What was that for?>

<Please don’t tell me you were trying to eat a fly on purpose.>

<Oh. Oh,> she replies disgustedly. <Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m just really hungry.>

<Me too—> you begin to reply before being cut off by a disturbing sight.

Walking towards the computer room, the same room Ax is currently an Andalite in, is a security guard. He’s not one of the ones you saw earlier and he has a purpose in his step; this clearly isn’t just a patrol.

<Ax, get out!> you warn. <A security guard is coming!>

<I’m done,> he replies.

<Then you need to get out and morph now, he’ll be inside in about five seconds.>

You and Anna follow the security guard as he flings open the door. He steps into the room, and then jumps. Across the room, a door has just finished swinging shut.

“Hey!” he yells. “Who’s there?”

Without waiting for a response, he hurries across the room. You stay on his tail. Thankfully it’s a huge room, hopefully giving time for Ax to get away.

He flings open the door on the other side of the room as soon as he reaches it. There’s nothing on the other side, except for a few dragonflies near the ceiling. He doesn’t notice them as he runs down the hallway, pursuing whatever he thinks he saw.

<Is one of you guys Ax?> you ask.

<Yes. That was nearly disastrous,> he replies.

<You’re telling me. Did you get everything we needed?>

<Of course. Getting into the record storage was trivial, though I may have accidentally triggered an alert of someone logging in, which that human noticed. Regardless, I obtained the information we needed and left no other traces. The person who contacted us is named Emma King, and I have their address.>

>>4793970
You send a celebratory burst of emotion through thoughtspeech and the others do the same, though everyone’s emotion is tinged with a unique character of their own.

Exiting the building is as easy as getting in was. Someone is leaving at the same time as when you reach the lobby and you follow them through the open door. From there, your getaway is as simple as reaching the same thicket you first morphed in.

The morph back to human is as disgusting as the morph to dragonfly was, but it comes with a sense of relief. As nice as it was to experience flight as a dragonfly, that hunger was maddening.

—-

It’s simple to find Emma King’s house, and shortly after the sun sets you find yourself there in hawk morph. It looks like any other generic suburban house. You would never think there was an alien inside that somehow knows all your identities.

<I don’t see anyone through the windows,> Fred says. <It definitely looks like people live here though. What do we do?>

>Fred will morph human and knock on the door. The rest of you will be waiting nearby in combat morph to back him up if need be
>You’ll all get inside and investigate as dragonflies
>You’ll all morph humans and knock on the door. They already know who you are
>Write-in

>>4793975
>write-in

we turn human and go with Fred, everyone else can hang back

I don't want Ax there. If the Chee want to shit talk the Andalites or whatever, better have them do it without our Andalite present

>>4793975
>we turn human and go with Fred, everyone else can hang back
This works.

We should at least scout the place out first as birds or squirrels peering through windows. The aliens already know our identities but there's no reason to get sloppy.

>>4768512
>First word in every sentence in the first paragraph
>Your. They. Your. Your. Their. They. The. >The. The.
Think about using more varied sentences.

>>4793975
>we turn human and go with Fred, everyone else can hang back after we scout the place out first as birds or squirrels peering through windows.

>>4793975
>You’ll all morph humans and knock on the door. They already know who you are

>>4793979
+1 on this.

>>4793979
>>4794197
>>4794387
>>4794716
>Go in with Fred
>>4794463
>Go in as humans with the whole team.
Set. Writing

>>4794210
Think about reading an actual post instead of an intentionally structured blurb, my semiliterate friend

>>4793975
<You should go in as a human,> you answer Fred. <They’ll be expecting you if they’re expecting anyone. I’d like to come with you, too. Everyone else should stay behind and ready to fight.>

<Sure,> Fred says. He sounds grateful, like he didn’t want to go in alone.

<Are you sure you don’t want us with you?> Nate asks.

<I’m sure,> you confirm. <I’d prefer to have the backup ready if we need it.>

<Alright,> Nate says to the group, before speaking to you privately. <Stay safe in there.>

<I will,> you respond, also privately.

<I should remain in this form,> Ax says. <No matter where we hide, an Andalite is more conspicuous than any of your morphs. I can all stay closer to the house this way.>

<Sounds good,> you say. <Let’s try to get another look inside first.>

You lose some altitude and do a few close passes by the house, glancing through the windows. Inside, the house looks like any other. People clearly live in it, but there are none currently in view, either on the ground floor or the second floor. You don’t see anything worth noting.

After that pass, you land in a nearby collection of woods with everyone else. You and Fred stop once you morph to human, while the others continue into their combat morphs. For Nate and Anna, that means gorillas. Tony becomes a wolf; his elephant form must be too conspicuous.

“Ready?” you ask Fred.

He nods, and you start walking to the house. You hesitate at the front door. It occurs to you that you have no idea what’s waiting for you on the other side.

Fred doesn’t hesitate. He steps forward boldly and knocks.

There’s no response. You wait a little longer, and then knock again.

“Maybe nobody’s home,” you suggest to Fred.

“We’ll wait a little longer,” he shrugs.

The door swings open, and you both jump. A woman is standing in the doorway. She has a sort of timeless face, making it impossible to tell if she’s in her early twenties or late thirties.

“Hello again, Fred,” she smiles. “And you must be Jen.”

“Emma King?” you ask.

“The one and only.”

<I did not see this woman walk to the doorway,> Ax warns you and Fred. <There may be a hologram around the windows.>

“Would you like to come inside?” she asks.

“Sure,” Fred steps through the doorway. He looks back at you, and motions for you to join him. You reluctantly follow, hoping that the others are ready if anyone goes wrong.

“Would you like something to eat?” Emma offers.

“I’d like some answers,” you respond.

“I understand,” she says. “I can tell you whatever you’d like to know, in exchange for a promise.”

“A promise?” Fred asks.

“Yes. If you swear to keep whatever secrets I tell you today, then I will speak to you. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“You know about our friends,” you counter. “We’ll be telling them what happens here, no matter what.”

“You can tell them, but no one else.”

>>4796129
“Then we agree,” you answer. “It’s not like there’s anyone else we’d tell.”

“And you?” she asks Fred.

“The same as Jen,” he says.

“Then follow me,” she leads you towards a door and opens it. Inside, a set of stairs leads to a dark basement. Creepy.

You look at Fred, trying to communicate your concern. He responds with a reassuring smile.

<I see you guys going into a basement,> Ax says. <We’ll come in if you’re not back within two of your hours.>

She flicks the lights on and leads you down. It seems like a normal basement, until you reach the bottom of the stairs.

The ground shifts under you. You, Fred, Emma, and the entire basement are moving downwards. After what feels like five or six floors, it stops. Then, the far wall of the basement disappears. A hallway lit in golden light replaces it.

The hallway is about fifty feet long and terminates in a blank wall. Once you reach the wall, it too disappears, revealing a vast chamber also lit in soft golden light.

“Whoa,” Fred gasps.

Lying before you is a vast underground park. Above, a sky indistinguishable from the real one stretches above you. A glowing orb like the sun, only gentler, sits high in the sky.

The grass stretches for a few hundred feet forward. On it, hundreds and hundreds of dogs are running, barking, and playing. All sorts of breeds are here, from tiny poodles to massive great danes. They seem to be having the time of their life.

Interspersed among the dogs are around a dozen robots, each as tall as a person and clad in metal and porcelain. They’re playing with the dogs, throwing frisbees and running with them.

“What is this?” Fred is awestruck. “It’s incredible.”

“We are the Chee,” Emma explains.

“You’re robots?” you ask. “Is your human body just a hologram then?”

“We are androids,” she responds. Her body disappears, revealing the machine beneath. Her features are remarkably similar to a dog’s. Instead of a human face, she has the head of a dog, complete with a snout. “And yes, that body is merely a hologram, though it is a more sophisticated hologram than even the Andalites have ever seen.”

“You mean you’re more advanced than the Andalites?”

“Much more advanced. However, these wonders do not come from us. They come from our creators. Can I show you?”

“Please do,” Fred eagerly requests.

Your surroundings disappear. They are replaced by an entirely different planet. In the sky, two suns cast a bright light down on you. One is small and red, while the other is vast and golden.

The plants around you are somewhat similar to those on earth and those you saw in the dome ship, yet still different. The tree trunks are green, and instead of leaves the tree branches split into smaller and smaller branches, changing color from green to silver to pink. The smallest pink branches are all intertwined, making the trees look like giant balls of cotton candy.

>>4796131
All around you, more and more strange foliage and animals arise. It’s too much to make sense of. Emma must be showing you everything there is to see on this planet, or at least as much as she can.

The flow of wildlife ceases, leaving one animal standing in front of you. It looks like a dog with long floppy ears standing on its hind legs, almost like the true form of Emma.

“Our creators,” Emma explains. “The Pemalites. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, they were the masters of this galaxy. They were utterly unlike the Yeerks or Andalites, or even you humans. All they wished to do was to play games, tell jokes, explore… there was no evil in them. No desire for war or death. As a species, they lived to have fun.”

All around you, Pemalites cavort. They run and tumble around, wrestling and chasing their friends. They tell stories in a language you cannot understand. They create great works of art, towering monuments and inexpressibly beautiful sculptures. Above all else, they laugh. An endless, constant CHUK-CHUK-CHUK that can’t be mistaken for anything else but delighted laughter.

The scene changes. Now, amongst the Pemalites, stand the Chee. They look similar to each other, and the Pemalites gather around the Chee, cheering and laughing.

“We were their pride and joy. Their most loyal companions, and most trusted friends. That is the meaning of our name. ‘Friend’. We traveled the galaxy with them, exploring and learning.”

Emma turns to you, now back in her holographic human form. There’s an expression of profound sadness on her face, utterly in contrast to the blissful images she’s showing you.

“When a Chee learned to tell a joke, the celebrations lasted a year. They meant everything to us, and we meant everything to them. Living it was as close to perfection as I can imagine.”

ZZZAAAPPP!

A beam of blinding red light tears across the landscape, splitting earth and incinerating foliage. It slices through the Pemalites, burning some and dismembering others. They run in terror, screaming and dashing every which way in a desperate, futile attempt to escape.

“The Howlers put an end to everything we built. They came from outside of this galaxy, thousands of ships bursting from Z-Space with one goal: to exterminate our creators. They did not explain, demand, or negotiate. All they did was destroy and slaughter.”

More images come, each more horrific than the last. Defenseless worlds, scorched and shattered from orbit. Pemalites running for their lives, being hunted for sport. Ships split open, with Pemalites kicking their legs frantically as they are sucked into the vacuum of space.

You had thought that the images of wildlife went on forever, but the sights now continue for infinitely longer. Fred is openly sobbing, though unable to look away. You’re crying too, tears silently streaming down your face.

>>4796135
Nothing you’ve experienced has been anywhere close to this. You’ve seen Visser 3 east Elfangor alive, you’ve tortured a Yeerk, you’ve slaughtered Hork-Bajir and even humans, while your friends and yourself have all nearly died multiple times. Still, none of those experiences can be compared to what you’re watching now.

Finally, mercifully, they stop.

“We could not, would not fight them,” Emma speaks quietly. “It was not in the Pemalite’s nature. They couldn’t even believe that something so awful could happen, let alone fight back against it.”

“What did you do?” you hoarsely ask.

“We fled.” A planet appears before you. It’s green and blue, and after a rotation it’s unmistakably recognizable as Earth. “We found a planet the Pemalites had visited once before. The last time it was seen, it had been unremarkable except for the diversity of life and the presence of a species somewhat similar to the Pemalites. Now, a species on that planet had discovered fire, agriculture, and everything needed for civilization. They had even began domesticating the species once so similar to our creators.”

A man and a wolf appear, standing together.

“The Pemalites were doomed. Before our escape, the Howlers had inflicted a quantum virus on them. It leads to an unavoidable, incurable, and extremely agonizing death. All we could do was ensure some of their essence survived. From their DNA we took their love to play, to make friends, and implanted it in that Earth species. That is how dogs were created. We have stayed here ever since, observing and taking care of all that is left of our masters’ legacy as best as we can.”

“What about the Howlers?” you ask. “Are they still out there?”

“As soon as the Pemalites were destroyed, they left this galaxy. We do not know why they did what they did, and I don’t think we ever will know.”

“You said you were fighting the Yeerks,” Fred slowly says, evidently still recovering from the horrors Emma showed you. “If you’re more advanced than even the Andalites, why can’t you stop them?”

“That is not such a simple question,” Emma answers. “We do oppose them, just like you. However we were programmed by the Pemalites to never harm another being, and many among our people believe that we shouldn’t help others do the same, even if it isn’t against our programming. Removing the Yeerks from this planet would involve going against our programming, and helping you do so would go against our beliefs. Even still, I would like to give you information to use against the Yeerks, but I cannot do so without the approval of my fellow Chee.”

“How do we convince them?” you ask.

“If I knew, then we would have begun helping you already. Perhaps you will have a chance to try now,” Emma says, pointing at a group of Chee approaching you.

>>4796137
They’re in their android form, but their holograms flicker on as you look at them. The one at the lead appears to be an old man.

“Humans are not supposed to be here,” he glares at Emma.

“And yet they are,” she smiles placidly. “Our secret is out.”

“Is it true?” Fred asks. “You can help us against the Yeerks?”

“We can, but we won’t,” the Chee frowns. “I am Chee-panan. You can call me John. Though we cannot help you, we have no disagreements with you. Our only quarrel is with our fellow Chee.”

“You can help us,” you argue. “You were able to find all our identities without us knowing. Surely you can do the same for the Yeerks.”

“It is against our ways.”

How will you convince him?

>Write-in

'Will you sit back and watch what happened to the Pemalites happen again to humanity? The yeerks are no better than the Howlers, they desire to control everything, and will destroy anything they can't control.'

'We won't ask you to fight directly, to kill anyone or anything. We only want your help to keep Earth from being devoured by the Yeerk empire.'

'And if you will sit back and let it happen, not even offer help in the mildest form, you're unworthy of your creators. What's left of your creators will die with us, and you'll be left free to watch the Yeerks take over the galaxy and crush species after species under their boot.'

'Assuming the Yeerks don't discover you and destroy you too. Then the Pemalites will truly be gone, with no one left to remember they even existed.'

>>4796141
>>4796150
This is good.

Maybe add in something about what happens to worlds and planets when the Yeerks take over. It's not just humanity that will die, it is every race on Earth and that includes dogs. The last repository of the Pemalite people - the repository of their genetic heritage, their loving nature, their innocence - they will suffer they same as we do. Perhaps you will be able to save a handful but your choice not to act will doom many more.
And that is what it is, a choice. Your choice.

>>4796141

>>4796150
>>4796202
+1 on both of these

>>4796141
>>4796150
>>4796202
Also mention that if even that isn't enough reason to persuade them, we won't fight them but that when the yeerks learn of their existence we might be too preoccupied to help them. Not meant as a threat it's just that if we had to choose between a neutral party, our own race or actual allies the neutral party would be low on our list of priorities though as long as that isn't the case we'll assist them though that would mean fighting on their behalf.

>>4796546
I actually don't like this suggestion. I think no matter how we phrase that it's only going to drive the Chee away from is. It just sounds like a veiled threat, and I don't think they consider us as a credible defense force.

>>4796150
>>4796202
>>4796538
>These write-ins
Set. Writing

https://ghostbin.co/paste/b33ak9

Always figured jen and curt should've just fucked that day desu

>>4796141
“You’re really going to sit back and watch what happened to the Pemalites happen again to humanity?” you demand. “The Yeerks are no better than the Howlers. They want to control everything, and whatever they can’t control they’ll destroy.”

“The Yeerks are not the same as the Howlers,” he responds. There’s still an annoyed look on his face, but his voice is calm. “The Yeerks will conquer, but they will not destroy this planet.”

“You can’t actually believe that. Every world the Yeerks go to, they destroy everything that isn’t suitable as a host. On Earth, they will destroy all the wildlife, every environment, every single thing except for the humans they’ll take as hosts. That includes dogs. They will destroy any legacy the Pemalites may have left.”

“We can save dogs, even if the planet’s sad fate cannot be avoided. Their legacy will continue.”

“How many dogs live on Earth? Millions? Billions? Do you have room for all of them down here?”

He looks upset. “We will save as many as we can.”

“You are failing your creators’ legacy. The Pemalites didn’t come to this planet just to make sure a couple dogs survived in some underground cave. They wouldn’t have wanted the planet destroyed, either. There aren’t just dogs here. Every species the Yeerks don’t have a use for. All the natural beauty of this planet. It will all be destroyed, and you’re just going to stand aside and watch?”

“This is not our choice,” he says tersely. “If we had our way, the Yeerks would leave peacefully. Though that can’t be, that doesn’t mean we will allow you to kill them.”

“We’re going to do that either way. All you’d be doing is helping save human lives, and the lives of dogs. What about after our planet falls? Will you still stand by once your creators’ legacy is gone, as the Yeerks crush one planet after another?”

He doesn’t answer. There’s a conflicted expression on his face. Is there a chance you’re getting through to him? You think so, but it’s impossible to say for sure.

“The Yeerks will destroy you,” you continue to pressure him. “They won’t stop after conquering humanity and ruining our world. They will find you and destroy the last legacy of the Pemalites.”

“The entire Yeerk armada could be in orbit around this planet and they still wouldn’t find us, let alone destroy us,” he scoffs.

“So you’ll consign all of humanity to their fate while we hide underground?” Emma interrupts.

“This isn’t what I want,” John replies, “but it is what we will do if we have to.”

“Then you’ll survive, and outlast the last remnants of the Pemalites,” you spit. “I saw the wonders they built, their love for the natural world, and their innocence. None of that will remain, except for your tiny group of Chee, and the handful of dogs you might save.”

>>4797940
“Enough,” he sharply says. “I have heard enough. What you say is true, but I am still not sure if it justifies going against our beliefs. However, I cannot speak for all the Chee here. They may agree with you, in which case I won’t be able to justify standing by. I can’t promise they’ll agree to help you, but I can promise you I will share what you’ve said with them.”

You’re ready to keep arguing, to push him until he has to agree with you, but Emma forestalls you with a hand on your arm. She smiles at you and shakes her head.

“I think you spoke very convincingly, Jen,” she says. “But I don’t think saying more will help. Thank you. Would you like to go back upstairs?”

“That would be best,” John says.

“Sure,” you reluctantly answer. You can’t tell if it’s enough, but you spoke honestly.

“Thanks,” Fred says to you as you walk back towards the basement.

“For what?” you ask.

“Arguing like that. I don’t think I could have spoken that well, and I think you might have convinced him.”

“I don’t know. Wouldn’t he have said he’d help us if he was convinced?”

“Chee-panan is the oldest among us,” Emma explains. “None of us have any official position, but it has still been his responsibility for the past several thousand years to lead us. Even before the Pemalites and most of the Chee were destroyed, he was among the oldest Chee. Even if he was swayed, he wouldn’t say so. Doing so might sway the rest of the Chee who follow his lead.”

“That didn’t stop him from arguing against us.”

“He lost everything he held dearly once. I believe he is wrong, but I can’t blame him for wanting to avoid losing any more.”

The basement starts to rise. You don’t say anything else. John might have had a hard life, but that’s no excuse for abandoning humanity to the Yeerks.

After a minute and what again feels like five or six floors of upward motion, you reach the basement’s original position.

“Thank you again for coming,” Emma says. “I’m sorry I couldn’t contact you more or answer your calls. I didn’t want the others to know what I was doing and prepare arguments against it until you were ready to speak.”

“Thanks for talking to us,” Fred says. “It means a lot.”

You nod in agreement.

<Jen, Fred, are you there?> Ax’s voice reaches you as you start walking up the stairs. <We’re going to attack if we don’t get a response from you soon.>

“Did you hear that?” you ask Fred, and run up the rest of the stairs. You dash towards a window and wave, hoping Ax can see you.

<Jen!> he exclaims, though you can’t see where he is. <You were in there for worryingly long. What happened? Can you come outside and talk to us?”

You stick your thumb up, hoping he gets the message.

“Let’s go,” you say to Fred. “Ax and the rest think we’re in trouble because we took so long. Thanks for giving us a chance, Emma, but we have to go.”

>>4797945
“Of course,” she says. “I’ll contact you and tell you what happens, no matter what the others agree on.”

You head out the front door without responding and quickly walk towards the hiding spot you left everyone else in. It’s not too far.

“Hey,” you call out, raising a hand in a wave. Strangely, you don’t see the others. You step further in between the trees.

A giant, black, furry fist shoots out and grabs you before you can react. It tugs you into a patch of bushes and another fist goes over your mouth. You struggle, but there’s nothing you can do against the grasp of a gorilla.

<Don’t try to fight,> Nate’s voice angrily says. Looking around as best you can, you see Fred in a similar situation, with another gorilla holding him down and muffling his yells. A wolf steps out of the shadows and a hawk lands in a flutter of wings.

<This really isn’t necessary,> Anna says. <It wouldn’t make any sense for the Yeerks to have set this up.>

Of course! They must think this was a trap and you and Fred were made into Controllers.

<Better safe than sorry,> Nate grimly says. <Jen, if this is really you, then morph a dragonfly again. A Yeerk wouldn’t survive its host becoming a millionth its normal size. The same goes for you, Fred.>

You want to argue that this is completely unnecessary, that if this was a trap you’d all have been caught long ago, but you understand his concern. For all he knows, the mysterious alien could have been caught by the Yeerks and then sold you out. Instead of trying to struggle, you begin the morph to dragonfly. Nate eases his grip slightly to avoid crushing you.

Your skin ripples and hardens to form a carapace. There’s a sickening crunching sound as your limbs rearrange and new legs emerge. You shrink while your vision sharpens to match your newly forming eyes.

The morph finishes, and you take flight, buzzing towards Nate’s gorilla face.

<Happy now?> you ask. You’re a little annoyed, but you can’t blame him.

<Yes,> he says, with an immense feeling of relief. <Sorry about that. Can you explain what happened inside?>

<Sure, but not in this form. I’ll morph back first.>

Once you finish the morph back to human, you dive into your story, with occasional input from Fred. It’s hard for the others to believe or even fully wrap their hands around, and it honestly would be hard for you too if you hadn’t seen everything yourself.

<That’s crazy,> Nate says, now in his peregrine falcon morph as he flies alongside you on the way back to Tony’s barn. <Do you think John will come along?>

<I don’t know,> you say. <I hope so. Even if he doesn’t, maybe Emma will still help.>

<I guess we’ll find out soon enough.>

While waiting for a response from the Chee, what do you do over the next day?

>Visit Anna
>Visit Ax
>Visit Fred
>Visit Nate
>Visit Tony
>Write-in

>>4797785
https://youtu.be/cOy6hqzfsAs

Sorry about the recent lack of art. I’ve been away from my computer and writing on my phone way too much. Hopefully I’ll be back and able to produce images for the dragonfly morph, Emma, etc etc soon. Thanks for reading anons, and I will continue updating daily even if I can’t get my assets done.

>>4797951
>>Visit Anna
>>Visit Ax
Who haven't we spent much time with recently?
I think it's important to balance these interludes so we can keep an eye on how everyone in our group is holding up. IIRC we've done Nate and Fred recently so I'm thinking Anna or Ax.

>>4797951
>Visit Ax
>Suggest practicing morphing with him. It would be best if you both got the hang of the intricacies of it, and as an Andalite he might have some good insight for tricks you could use with the morphing ability.

>>4797951
>Visit Ax
maybe help him be more 'natural' in his human morph

>>4797785
deeply cursed, anon.

>>4797951
>>4797982
+1

>>4797951
>>Visit Fred

>>4797951
I want to also see if we can spy on mom at some point in the future. I have this weird suspicion that she's a turncoat Yeerk, but I want to confirm that.

>>4797951
>>Visit Ax

>>4797785
pretty good but should be formatted better

>>4797982
>>4798672
>Visit Anna + Ax
>>4798042
>>4798087
>>4798748
>Visit Ax
>>4798690
>Visit Fred

Calling it for visiting Ax. Writing

File: 68C8B77B-7CF2-4240-A8D0-1(...).jpg (414 KB, 714x1000)

414 KB JPG

>>4797951
It’s getting late, so everyone splits up and heads home. You’ll probably hear from the Chee soon, but not tonight.

You visit Ax early the next day.

He lives out in the woods, so you fly to meet him. The trip isn’t long as a red-tailed hawk, and you find him quickly.

He’s alone in a secluded clearing, a couple miles out of town. Close enough that Tony, who lives nearest to him, could visit regularly, but far enough to avoid being discovered by any hikers.

When you find him, he’s doing something strange. You think it’s some form of prayer at first. He lowers the front half of his body, hands clasped together, with both his main and stalk eyes closed. His tail extends forwards, over his head, blade pointing all the way forwards.

After holding that pose for a few seconds, he stands up straight and pulls his tail back. He moves through another series of strange movements.

You can’t make sense of what he’s doing. It might be a strange dance, or some Andalite form of stretching.

<What are you doing?> you ask when you think he’s finished. He jumps.

<Jen?> he asks.

<Who else? What was that?>

<A ritual.>

<What’s it for?>

<I… I would prefer not to say. Why are you here?>

<I just wanted to visit you.>

<Is there an emergency? Did the Chee contact us again?>

<No, I wanted to see how you were doing. You know, to make sure you’re settling in.>

<I am doing well. I look forward to our next mission.>

<Me too, but there’s more to it than that. Are you doing alright out here? Are you eating well, however Andalites eat?>

<We graze through our hooves, and yes, the grass here is very good.>

<That’s good to hear I guess. I won’t ask you to explain the hooves thing. Do you miss home?>

<I do,> he says. You can feel the sadness in his voice. <This world is beautiful, but… it is not my world. Everything is colored strangely, and there are no fields to graze in. I feel hemmed in by this forest, though I understand why I have to stay out here. I’m happy to be part of this group, but I miss my fellow arisths and my friends at home. I miss my family.>

<I’m sorry. Is there anything we can do?>

<No, you’ve been very welcoming. It’s hard being the only Andalite among humans, but that’s not your fault.>

<The others have been talking to you?>

<Well, outside of missions, I speak to Tony often. I don’t see the others much.>

<I’m glad I came to talk to you then. I wouldn’t want you always being alone in these woods. You know you can talk to us whenever, right? I think Nate or Tony should have gotten you a phone.>

>>4799660
<They did, but… I just find it hard to talk to people with such a different culture to my own. On my homeworld, I knew who my people were and how to speak to them. Here, things are different. I don’t understand your culture. I don’t know how to speak to people, or what they mean half the time when they speak. The others have to monitor what I say and do when I’m in human morph.>

<Do you want me to teach you? About our culture, I mean.>

<That would be perfect. If you don’t mind, that is.>

<I wouldn’t have offered if I did mind. Let me morph back to human, and then we can walk and talk.>

You land next to him and start the morph back. Once you finish, you start walking alongside him in the direction of Tony’s barn. Everyone left a spare change of clothes there in case anyone ended up nearby in their morphing suit, so you’ll pick up a proper outfit there and head into town with Ax afterwards.

While you walk, you tell him about your life. You really don’t know where to begin telling someone about ‘human culture’, but you figure telling him about yourself is as good a place as any to start. Plus, it might make him feel more included in your group.

He tells you about the Andalite homeworld too. It sounds incredible. There are no cities there, but each Andalite family is part of an interconnected whole. It’s like they have one great global family, all working together.

They have masters of morphing, who make transforming between forms a work of art. You ask Ax if he’s ever done that, but to your surprise he admits he has next to no practice morphing, and only one or two morphs from his homeworld. Apparently, morphing for fun is frowned upon there.

The other arts the Andalites have seem equally intriguing. Ax goes into detail about some plays his mother loved, which of course have all dialogue in thoughtspeech. The greatest actors there really experience the emotions of the role they’re playing, and transmit those emotions to the audience.

Just as there’s too much to tell about life as a human, the same goes for life as an Andalite. Even still, you manage to learn a lot from Ax, and you think you taught him a lot too. From what you can tell, as interesting as life on the Andalite homeworld sounds, it seems very rigid. Everything is governed by rituals, and almost every interaction is strictly formal. Everyone has to obey the council, as well as the orders of their superiors. You’d like to visit some day, after all this is over, but you’d hate living there. Ax seems to be enjoying the time away from all that structure, at least.

When you get closer to the edge of the woods, you stop Ax and ask him to morph into his human form. He complains about having to walk on two legs, but complies anyway.

>>4799662
His human morph is bizarrely good looking. It’s a fusion of DNA from both you and Fred, meaning his face has a strange mix of masculine and feminine features. You suppose he could probably update it and use DNA from your whole group, but you haven’t mentioned that. You’re not sure what everyone else would think if Ax did that.

Once you grab some clothes for yourself and Ax to wear over your morphing suits, you lead him into town. You’ll catch a bus and swing by the library. It’ll help Ax to get an almanac and maybe some history books. As long as he remembers to return him, that is.

You keep chatting with him about your life and his life. It’s hard to converse when he keeps playing with sounds. Andalites don’t have any voice or taste in their normal forms, so in human morph Ax can’t get enough of both talking and eating. You manage to communicate with him anyway. At least he’s not trying to eat the seatbelts on the bus.

“What do you want to do after all this?” He asks abruptly. “This, thhhhuh, isssss.”

You assume he means once the Yeerks have been kicked off of Earth, and you’re not sure. You haven’t thought about it until now. All you’ve been focused on is surviving the next fight.

>“Even if we stop the Yeerks here, they’ll still be out there. I figure I’ll help the Andalites, and make sure the Yeerks are destroyed for good.”
>“I honestly don’t know. I haven’t thought about it at all. What are you going to do?”
>“I had a normal life before. I still miss it. Maybe I’ll get the chance to rebuild it.”
>Write-in

>>4799665
>“Even if we stop the Yeerks here, they’ll still be out there. I figure I’ll help the Andalites, and make sure the Yeerks are destroyed for good.”
>And you know, there are probably other bastards out there, guys like the Howler. Someone will have to deal with them too. So that's what I'll do.

Cosmic Warrior Jen activated

>>4799665
>>“Even if we stop the Yeerks here, they’ll still be out there. I figure I’ll help the Andalites, and make sure the Yeerks are destroyed for good.”
I don't know if that's actually what she'd end up doing but I feel like it's the headspace she's in at the moment.

>>4799665
>>“Even if we stop the Yeerks here, they’ll still be out there. I figure I’ll help the Andalites, and make sure the Yeerks are destroyed for good.”

>>4799665
>>“Even if we stop the Yeerks here, they’ll still be out there. I figure I’ll help the Andalites, and make sure the Yeerks are destroyed for good.”
Can't stop won't stop

>>4799772
>>4799777
>>4799795
>>4800479
>“Even if we stop the Yeerks here, they’ll still be out there. I figure I’ll help the Andalites, and make sure the Yeerks are destroyed for good.”

Set. Writing

File: Emma.png (846 KB, 740x925)

846 KB PNG

>>4799665
“Even if we stop the Yeerks here, they’ll still be out there,” you explain. “I figure I’ll help the Andalites, and make sure the Yeerks are destroyed for good.”

“Is that all you want?” he asks. “Just going from one battle to the next?”

“It’s all I know,” you shift uncomfortably in your seat. “I’ve never found anything else I really feel like I’ve been meant for. Besides, I don’t think there’s much here on Earth for me.”

“I don’t think you’ll say that after you see space combat. Com-bat-tuh.”

“It can’t be worse than what I’ve seen already.”

“It is. You told us about what the Chee showed you, about the Howlers. Lers. I’ve never heard of them before, but I can tell you the war with the Yeerks is much, much closer to that than our little skirmishes here. Skerrrr-meesheeeees.”

“I thought you hadn’t fought in combat before you met us.”

“Well, that is true,” he blushes. “Still, I’ve seen the holovids. The instructors at the academy wanted to prepare us for the reality of war. Ree-al-it-ty. Teeea.”

“Either way, I’ll be ready for it. I won’t stop once the Yeerks on this planet are gone. I’ll make sure they’re wiped out of this galaxy, no matter how hard it gets.”

He looks hesitant. “I’m still not sure that’s what you’ll actually want.”

“Do you think I’m not able to fight them?” you annoyedly question him.

“No, it’s not that at all,” he replies earnestly. “You do have a life here. You have everything that I’ve lost. Your friends trust you, and accept you. I understand you have some quarrels with your mother, but you still have a family. My brother is dead. My people are a galaxy away, and I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again. I truly admire your dedication. Humans have defied my expectations at all turns, but I wouldn’t throw everything you have away.”

You’re surprised. Ax is really speaking his mind. He doesn’t even stop to play with his words, he’s so focused on what he’s trying to tell you. It doesn’t mean he’s right, though.

“I’m only friends with most of the group because of that night at the construction site. You say I have a good life, but that’s only because of this war. It sounds messed up, but it’s true. This is what I’m good at. It’s what I want to do.”

“That’s your choice,” he quietly says. He looks deeply upset, but unwilling to keep arguing.

Before you can try to explain further, your phone starts ringing. You fish it out of your pocket. There’s no caller ID. You take the call anyway.

“Hello?” you ask.

“Hi Jen,” Emma’s voice comes through. You put your hand over the phone and mouth ‘it’s Emma’ to Ax. You can’t tell if he understands or not.

“What’s up? It hasn’t even been twenty four hours.”

“Our discussion has finished.”

“Already?”

>>4802331
“We’ve been living together for longer than human civilization has existed. There’s been a lot of time to iron out our decision making process.”

“And? Did you guys agree to help us?”

“Not all of us, but enough. Myself and a few others will help you in any way we can. There’s only so much we can do without the support of all the Chee, but I think it will be enough to make a serious difference.”

“What now? You guys probably already have a plan, right?”

“Not quite. When I first contacted your group, I was in the process of infiltrating the Sharing. That’s been put on hold. Thanks to your actions, the Sharing have paused all their activities. I haven’t been able to gather any important information due to that.”

“Will you be able to get more information now with the help of the other Chee?”

“I think so, but I need to know what you want us to focus on. We can track the important Controllers and try to find out their next plan, or we can find where they’re keeping their Kandrona. It’s your choice.”

That leaves you in a dilemma. The Yeerks are undoubtedly planning something right now. Just because they’re on the back foot doesn’t mean they’re idle. Getting a head start could let you stop whatever it is in its tracks.

Finding the Kandrona is also appealing. Even if the Yeerks are planning something, you doubt that they’ll be able to do much while they’re starving. It would be a serious, immediate blow. However, it will likely be heavily protected.

Something else occurs to you. You could ask Emma to keep an eye on your mom and sort out your concerns about her. It would delay finding either the Kandrona or the Yeerks’ next moves, but that might be a price you’re willing to pay for peace of mind. You think she’d understand, though explaining it to the others might be a different matter.

>“I need you to find out whatever they’re planning to do next.”
>“I need you to find the Kandrona.”
>“Find out what you can, but I need you to do me a favor. It’s about my mom.”
>Write-in

>>4802334
>Can you help us contact the Andalites, actually? It might be easier to stomach for your people, since it’s just communication. And with your technology, it’s gotta be more reliable than our other plan.

>>4802334
>“Find out what you can, but I need you to do me a favor. It’s about my mom.”
let's find out if Mom is a controller

>>4802334
>Contact the Andalites
>“I need you to find out whatever they’re planning to do next"
I figure they should be able to do both. If they're as advanced as they seem then a simple communication shouldn't take much effort at all. If that's wrong then just focus on communicating with the Andalites, they can even do it anonymously if they want to conceal their existence.

>>4802334
>>“I need you to find the Kandrona.”
Lets strike at their logistics. This seems the next logical step.

If Mom is a controller, at least she's on our side. The Kandrona comes first. We've stopped their recruitment process, now if we can force them to go on the defensive we'll be saving lives.

>>4802359
>>4802373
To clarify, though the Chee as a group could easily reach the Andalites, Emma and her small group of Chee can't do so as easily. The main group of Chee will accept Emma and her faction helping you, but they won't let her use their methods of communication. Asking her to find a way for you to contact the Andalites without going on the observatory mission will work, but it will take some time and delay the other options. No matter what option you choose, she'll still whip up something that will make a mission to the observatory easier (wont need as much time for Ax to look around and hack his way into their system, instead you can just plug in what she gives you).

>>4803319
I'll still vote for that, then.
Something to plug in and use immediately will probably get us more time to communicate with the andalites, and i'd bet it would be a clearer connection than what we could come up with alone given Ax's...youth.

>>4803414
Just to make sure we're on the same page, you'll be getting help from Emma with that mission regardless of whether or not you ask her for help contacting the Andalites. Asking her for help means she'll put off finding out about the Yeerks' next plans, the Kandrona, or your mom in order to come up with a way to contact the Andalites without going to the observatory. It'll mean less risk, but postponing her finding anything else out. If you ask her to pursue something else, you'll still have her help, but you'll have to go to the observatory.

>>4803553
OH.
In that case yeah, I'll swap to
>“Find out what you can, but I need you to do me a favor. It’s about my mom.”

>>4803319
In that case I will change my vote (>>4802373) to either find out what they're planning or find the kandrona. I don't think the status of our mum is particularly time critical since it's not like we're going to confront her about it.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>4802362
>>4803566
>“Find out what you can, but I need you to do me a favor. It’s about my mom.”
>>4802894
>“I need you to find the Kandrona.”
>>4804358
This anon said to either find out what they're planning or find the Kandrona. I'll count him as finding the Kandrona and flip a coin because it seems as though anons are evenly split on asking about our mom or not.

1 for mom
2 for Kandrona

>>4802334
“Actually, can you contact the Andalites for us?”

“I could, but not easily,” she answers. “Not without the help of the rest of the Chee. I could get it done, but it would take some time, and I would have to put off finding out more information regarding the Kandrona or the future plans of the Yeerks.”

“Damn.”

“I can still provide you with instructions on how to use the radio telescope at the local observatory to contact the Andalites, as well as a computer program to use for that purpose. It should make things significantly easier for you.”

“That’d work. How did you know we were going to use the observatory? Actually, how do you know so much about us in general?”

“I didn’t know you had planned to go to the observatory. It’s just the easiest way to contact the Andalites, unless you manage to steal a Z-space transponder from the Yeerks.”

“Would that be easy?”

“If you obtained one, yes, but obtaining one would be significantly harder than breaking into the observatory.”

“Oh well. How did you know about our group, then?”

“Pure coincidence. One of my fellow Chee works at the zoo in his human life. He used his abilities to tail you during and after your break-in to obtain morphs. From there, it was simple to find your human identities.”

“I thought there’d be more to it than that. So you’ve just been following us since then?”

“More or less. The Chee as a whole couldn’t decide whether to contact you, but I decided to make my move while you were at the Sharing.”

“I’m glad you caught us and not the Yeerks.” you say. The bus slows to a halt, and people start to get off. “Can you hang on a second? I’m in public.”

“Of course.”

You get off the bus with Ax, and point him in the direction of the library.

“Can you wait for me at the library?” you ask him. “Don’t cause a commotion.”

“Okay,” he says. “What do you mean by a cuh-moe-shun?”

“Don’t do anything to draw attention. I’ll be over in a minute.”

Ax starts walking in the direction of the library while the crowds disperse, leaving you alone at the bus stop. You start to slowly follow Ax after a minute, still letting him broaden the distance between the two of you.

“You still there?” you go back to Emma.

“I am,” she says.

“Find out what you can about the Kandrona’s location, but I need you to do me a favor.”

“Anything.”

You hesitate. Can you tell Emma about your mom? You’re not sure.

On one hand, she’s seemed very willing to help. She’s agreed to everything you’ve asked, and has been nothing but nice. If you had to pick a word to describe her mannerisms, it would be ‘serene’. Nothing seems to bother her, and from what you can tell, she’d be understanding.

>>4804641
Despite that, you’re not sure if this is the right idea. As nice as Emma is, you don’t know her all that well, and you’re asking her something personal. In addition to the fears that come with exposing yourself to an almost-stranger, there’s the concern that this isn’t the right thing to do. She should be focusing on stopping the Yeerks, not your mundane concerns.

Now that you consider it more deeply, you realize that these concerns might not be so mundane after all. If your mom really is a Yeerk, it could be vitally important to identify her sooner rather than later. Whether that is the case or not, you still can’t let this go.

“It’s about my mom. I need you to spy on her.”

“Do you think she’s a Controller?” Emma asks. She doesn’t seem concerned by your request, but you can’t tell much beyond that.

“I don’t know, but I have to find out.”

“I understand. I’ll do it.”

“Thanks,” you say, a wave of relief flooding through you.

“Will you be okay if I discover the worst possibility?”

“Why does everyone seem to think I’m so fragile?” you complain. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, and just focus on what you need to do.”

“I will. Is there anything else you need me to do?”

“No. Oh, and if you end up talking to any of the others, don’t mention this,” you finish. You’re getting close to the library, so you say goodbye. “I gotta go, bye.”

“Bye. I’ll be in touch.”

She hangs up. You start looking for Ax. He’s not out here, which means that he’s probably inside.

You head up the steps and through the front door. Ax still isn’t anywhere in sight, but piercing the quiet of the library is the distant sound of yelling. You almost dare to think it might be unrelated to him, before reconsidering. You know better than that.

Trying to run as quietly as possible, you head up a nearby flight of stairs towards the source of the yelling.

When you reach the landing, you see a very angry librarian and a very confused Aximili. He has two huge armfuls of books, and behind him is a trail of books leading back to a set of shelves.

“How dare you disrespect the library this way!” the librarian continues, unmindful of how her yelling is probably causing much more disturbance than whatever Ax was doing.

“I wanted to read these books,” Ax protests, “and I thought I could withdraw them freely! With-th-th, draaaw.”

“I’m very sorry!” you call out before the librarian can continue. “He’s with me. I let him out of my sight for just one second, and this happens.”

“If both of you are involved, then you’ll both be in trouble,” the librarian rounds on you. “Tell me both of your names, right now, and give me your parents’ contact information.”

>>4804645
“I’m Anna,” you quickly lie, “and this is Ax. Er, I mean Alan. We call him Ax because… he’s like a battleaxe. Anyway, he’s special needs, and I’m responsible for him. Like I said, he just got out of my sight for a second and this happens.”

“He’s special needs?” the librarian hesitates, a look of guilt on her face.

You leap on the opportunity, “Yes! And I’m supposed to be responsible for taking care of him today. but obviously I let this happen. Again, I’m so sorry about this. I just wanted to bring him to the library, because his parents don’t get him enough to read, even though I think he loves literature, just like me.”

“This is true,” Ax interjects. “I am satisfied by receiving new information, and my needs are very… special? Speh-shull.”

“Oh,” the librarian looks embarrassed, only now noticing the many eyes on her from the various people currently in the library. “Well, I suppose I can let this go if you two promise to put all those books, except for the ones you are currently using, back where they belong.”

“We will,” you promise, and tug Ax away before he can say anything more.

“I do not understand why she was so upset,” he says once you’re out of earshot of the librarian. “I thought the purpose of this building was to distribute stories and information.”

“Yeah, but there are some rules you have to follow. Like not grabbing three dozen books at once and dropping them all over the place.”

“Sorry,” he sheepishly apologizes.

“What books were you reading, anyway?”

You glance over his collections, as well as the books you pick up along the way. It’s a very eclectic mix. History, biographies, science, fantasy, and even what looks like a romance novel.

“Why’d you pick this?” you ask, pointing at the cover with a very muscular man and a beautiful woman staring at him.

“All the best Andalite stories involve our greatest warriors and leaders. I assumed this was the same. After all, the people in this picture have what seem to be the most desirable human traits.”

“Yeah,” you snort, “that guy looks pretty desirable to me. But I don’t think it’s exactly what you’re looking for.”

“It’s not?” he asks with dismay.

“Well, maybe you’ll like it anyway. You can pick three to keep. For any more we’d need a library card to withdraw them.”

“Very well,” he sighs and singles out three to keep. It looks like he went for some military history book, a book on the history of human physics, and the romance novel.

“Interesting choices. I’ll pick up some more stuff for you to read and then we’ll get out of here. We need to leave enough time for you to get to the woods and morph back.”

“Okay. How did your discussion with the Chee go? Cuh-shun. Sshhhhun.”

“Fine.”

>>4804646
“I still can’t believe her story. There would be no reason for her to lie, but the idea that there were not only one, but two species vastly in advance of Andalites before we even left our home planet…”

“I don’t think anyone could make up what she showed me. Anyway, how do you explain the Chee all being androids and having such advanced technology then?”

“It’s all holograms,” he dismissively waves a hand.

“Really? I thought those holograms were pretty impressive. Does that mean the Yeerks and Andalites have that technology too?”

“Well… ours aren’t so advanced, and we don’t have androids that are anything like the Chee. But still! I’d like to see a Chee dome ship!”

You’re sure the Chee could build ships easily the equal of any Andalite ship, seeing how old and advanced they are. You don’t want to argue with Ax about that though, and instead think about what you want to tell him about your talk with Emma.

>Tell him you asked her to look into your mom. You’ll tell the rest too as soon as you see them
>Tell him you asked her to look into your mom. You’ll see what he says, though you’re not sure he’ll understand your feelings
>Just tell him you asked her to look into the Kandrona. You’re not sure what, if anything, you’ll tell the others, but you can sort that out later. Maybe you’ll talk to them one on one, starting with someone other than Ax
>Write-in