Onward! Onward to place of food! MB signed madly, ears whirring like undersized helicopter blades. He sniffed curiously, wondering if there was anything being prepared. The chicks' mentioning of these "Waffle Os" intrigued him. Were they cereal creatures? Like Cheery Os? He liked cereal. Fun always in catching them, he answered Sophie's question. Always better to play first. Then eat. Eat then play bad.
He turned his head so his whiskers tickled the back of her hand.
Chrys shook her head, not minding Blossom's question. She seemed harmless enough, now, relatively.
"No, Hans has it," she chimed, giving the cultist a look of gratitude. "Just a spot of family trouble, is all. Thanks for asking, though."
She polished off the rest of her Dr Pepper. The salad was long gone, of course, and she had to hand it to the raptors. For carnivores, they didn't ununderstand vegetables!
Dora's shoulders relaxed and she let out a small sigh. The contact made her feel at peace for once. It was hard to keep up with the different beliefs and actions of so many people, but somehow Ogoti made it seem all too easy. Flexibility of spirit to match his changeable shape, perhaps, said the part of her that looked for patterns and tried to make things fit into neat boxes.
"I'd like that," she said just as easily, matching him pace for pace toward the raptors' house and the nearest table. "Dark sky, bright stars, sand, surf, wine, and a kindred spirit. There's nothing like it."
Luce turned so that the light caught the lenses of his glasses, obscuring his eyes.
"Humanity is what you make it," offered he, in his usual quiet manner. "This is just a package. Dora, too, she has changed from the way she originally looked. There will always be something different about you, and her, and so many others. But if you were willing, I'm sure I could find a way to persuade Chrys to shave you, make you look more human. Or humanoid at the least."
There might possibly have been a hint of mischief in Luce's expression, but it was fleeting if it was ever really there.
"Trust in Fate," he suggested finally, in response to Ray's trepidation about anything the raptors might have added or subtracted. "It appears you have already begun that step, anyway, as you are here at a party hosted by those very same insane scientists." He grinned. "And as for our toolset, if I understand your question correctly, that's something we only share with those who are, or are about to become, one of us. Perhaps, if you were willing, it would be possible."
