Panic! At The (Pool) Party
Tobias choose his own stall to morph in, managing to land on the floor with hopefully enough space to demorph easily. <Have I mentioned that I really hate flies?> Tobias grumbled as he started demorphing, the fractured eyes going first. As he continued to focus on his true form, the red tailed hawk, the fly wings shriveled against his back, and the legs sucked back into his body, leaving his as a fly meat loaf.
As the exoskeleton softened and the familiar itch of his feathers returning combined with the familiar feeling of the ground getting father and farther away as he grew and thickened into his hawk body, Tobias let out an internal sigh. He really really hates fly morph.
<See Rachel, you say that, but if you did that, it;d just be the newest fashion trend for the school.> Tobias joked, trying to keep the tone light before sending a private message just to Rachel. <Weāre gonna be fine.Weāve totally done stupider stuff than this before, walk in the park right?> Tobias said, trying to reassure Rachel just as much as himself.
<Marco do you have baggies for us slug folks?> Tobias asked. <I already have these scabby legs, no way am I letting myself dry out as a yeerk too. Thereās not enough lotion in the world to remoisturize that.> Tobias joked. <And I think the fact that I just made a joke about dry skin means we need to start watching different commercials Ax-Man.>
Tobias fluttered out of the stall, coming to land on Rachels shoulder. <Just tell me when I need to morph again.>
The fly, unlike a lot of other animals they had morphed before, did not have an instant, deep-seated instinct to panic. In fact, for the most part even while being attacked the swift-winged creature didnāt have any reaction except a āoh, better get out the way, thenā, which was mild under the circumstances. This meant that the fly was easy to control. This also meant that the mind-skittering panic Cassie was feeling had everything to do with her own instinct and nothing to do with the fly. Luckily, this also meant that she could take some attention off being a fly and instead devote it to not completely falling apart in a very embarrassing and more than exasperating way. This was, theoretically, no more dangerous than anything theyād done in the past. But Cassie was terrified. Terrified theyād get caught, terrified one or more of them would get stuck in morph - even for the humans, that would be devastating - and terrified sheād let the Peace Movement down as well as her friends. Why had she thought this would be a good idea? Why had she promised to get mud for Mr Tidwell and Illim? This was crazy. This whole plan was insane. And if they failed, it would be one heck of a lot her fault. The Animorphs and the Peace Movement would both be cut into, and the overwhelming desire in her was just to make it stop. Cassie wanted to reach out and just make it stop; curl both parties away behind safety where none of her friends would ever be hurt again. She stayed silent as Marco talked to Mr Tidwell and Illim, not trusting herself to speak. The morph was done dispassionately - fly could only bring forth nightmares, not myths or pretty patterns - and then she was human and suddenly shaking at the knees. Pull yourself together, she told herself sternly. Or they will knowĀ just how terrified you are. And this was your plan.Ā Tucking her hands together to hide the shaking, she exited the stall and glanced at everyone. āAnd an extra baggie for Jake, please,ā she reminded Marco, glancing at Jake in silent reminder of the plan to get Illim some mud from the pool sheād told him about. She was hoping that when he scooped her back up heād either be able to get some mud as well, or that during recon heād find a way to slip some in the second bag. It was, after all, Jake - he found ways to do the impossible during meetings. Biting her lip, Cassie glanced at each of her friends, knowing how much all of them would hate this next part. One by one, she sent them silent apologies, ending with Ax because, somehow, he made her feel the most guilty. As soon as she laid eyes on him, she had the irrational desire to leap across to Jake and cover his eyes. "Ax," she blurted, eyes skittering away and embarrassment starting to rise. "You forgot toā¦" She shook her head, knowing it would just start an argument they didnāt have time or enough un-frayed nerves for right then. Instead, she deftly stepped right in front of Axās form, hiding it from everybody elseās eyes and very deliberately not looking to see whoād been gawking. "Um, okay. Wellā¦ Shouldā¦ I go first?" Sheād been Yeerk before, after all. Never in front of them, but she supposed it might be somewhat soothing for her to show them it wasnāt a difficult morph, per se. And that she didnāt suddenly turn soul-sucking evil or anything.
Jake felt oddly calm, even with the lack of prey instincts from the fly he normally had some form of pre-game jitters, from basketball or from a battle it never really mattered.Ā
As he demorphed he didn't think about the transformation, his mind focused on the task at hand, trying to see all the possibilities to keep his friends safe. He knew it was the easiest way to get into the pool, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to call it off.
But they were in too deep already to give up and turn around, plus they had a promise to keep ti Illim who was putting himself incredibly far out on a line to get them a chance.Ā
As Jake stepped out of the stall, his morphing suit making him feel underdressed even with everyone else in the same boat, until he looked at Ax. Well it was more of a glance really before Jake pointedly looked away from his body, being sure not to stare as he leaned against one of the sinks.
"Yeah, I'll need a spare so I can get that sludge." Jake said, pausing as an idea struck him. "When we get everyone back from the pool, one of you just kick me in like it's Looney Toons, Easiest way to get the sludge without being suspicious." Jake said, shuddering at the idea of diving into the pool.
Jake nodded at Cassie's question. "Unless anyone has an pressing matters, you're up Cass." Jake said, feeling his heart jump like it had been over the past few weeks since he realized that Cassie would have access to his every thought and memory, even the ones about her. Jake squashed the sudden urge to move and grab Cassie's hand, wanting to calm her obviously frayed nerves.
"Everyone remember the plan?" Jake asked, taking a deep breath. "Frolis, get in separately from each other, do some recon, and get out with some pool goop." Jake said, his voice soothing as he outlined everything. "Easy, right?" Jake said, looking over the group, taking care to keep his eyes trained on Ax's face.
