update from sparkleup

writing/post-self/motes/003.md

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ It was Motes who caved first, ducking down onto paws and knees at the last secon
 
 Motes galloped after her, giggling.
 
-A few more rounds of leapfrog and both Motes and Warmth collapsed in the clearing in the woods, panting and laughing. They shoved at each other for a few seconds, rolling about in the grass and wildflowers before sprawling out on their backs, looking up into the cloud-dotted sky.
+A few more rounds of leapfrog — repeated a dozen times over with a dozen different instances — and both Motes and Warmth collapsed in the clearing in the woods, panting and laughing. They shoved at each other for a few seconds, rolling about in the grass and wildflowers before sprawling out on their backs, looking up into the cloud-dotted sky.
 
 "You know," Warmth said reaching over to poke Motes in the belly. "If you were not such a fatty, you could probably outrun me!"
 
@@ -62,4 +62,82 @@ They elbow-crawled over to drape unceremoniously over Motes's front, sighing now
 
 "You are that," the other skunk admitted. "So am I, mind. Probably cuter than you."
 
-"Mmhm mmhm mmhm." She grinned over at Warmth. "What have you been working on, anyway?"
+"Mmhm mmhm mmhm." She grinned over at Warmth. "Whatcha doin', anyway?"
+
+It giggled and pushed its paws up over her face. "Motes, Motes Motes! Look at you, all growed up, using contractions."
+
+"Mmnf! Is 'whatcha' a contraction?"
+
+"I do not know. Did you have to focus to say it?"
+
+"A little," she admitted. "Sort of like 'kinda' or 'gonna'."
+
+"Weirdo," ey stated plainly. "Do you mean what am I doing right now? Because I am using your fat belly as literally the worst pillow."
+
+"You could get off me any time now!"
+
+"Absolutely not."
+
+Motes giggled. "No, I was asking what you are working on in general. What are you working on these days?"
+
+"Oh!" They sat up cross-legged, letting Motes do the same. "I got a letter from both of the LVs, and–"
+
+"Is that why you were mopey? You got one from Pollux?"
+
+Its expression soured. "That was part of it. I do not want to talk about that, though. The day is sunny and bright and you are fun to be around and I also heard from Castor."
+
+Motes nodded. "Tell me about that, then. I do not want mopey Warmth."
+
+"Good," they said primly. "Because Codrin#Convergence got my last letter and started asking all the Artemisians ey could for foods that they liked to start sending me all sorts of different flavors. Ey is *such* a nerd. Ey practically set me a tome describing all of the different ingredients they showed em and what they looked and tasted like on their own, and then how they were put together into different dishes and what *those* looked and tasted like."
+
+"All of the Bălans are nerds," Motes said. "Did you write back to tell em that?"
+
+"Mmhm! I accused em of going back to being a weirdo historian."
+
+"Good!"
+
+Ey giggled. "But! Do you want to taste a *frahabrodåt?*"
+
+"What the frick is a *frahabrodåt?*"
+
+As it spoke, ey dreamed up a shallow bowl. "No fucking clue! It apparently means 'fluffy tower'." This began to take shape. It seemed to be a lattice of fine bubbles in pale, sea-foam green. "I have only tried a few of the recipes ey sent, but this one at least gave me some good ideas." The foam began to congeal into a firmer structure that looked to have been shaped by some sort of fork into a square-ish tower. "I do not know if I would call it *good,* but I am guessing by a text description of something an alien showed a non-chef on a System that is not theirs." At last, the tower seemed to be complete, though over the next few seconds it was pocked with a few pips of what seemed to be some similarly pale-green fruit. "Here!"
+
+Motes leaned forward and squinted at the dish, sniffing. It smelled like precious little.
+
+"I have not gotten to adding the scent yet," Warmth explained. "That is one area where Codrin did not give much detail."
+
+"Well, okay," she said, doubtful. She dreamed up a spoon and poked at the...foam? Froth? It was surprisingly sturdy, and although it wobbled, it did not fall over under the touch. 
+
+A grin was growing on the other skunk's face.
+
+Figuring there was nothing for it, she gathered up a spoonful of the fluff, complete with a few pips, said, "Onetwothree*go!*" and stuffed it into her mouth...then immediately raced to swallow it. "Mmnglhfnnf!"
+
+Warmth bust into a fit of giggles and forked several times in quick succession, the crowd of em breaking into a wild applause, complete with standing ovation and shouts of 'Bravo! Brava! Bravissimo!', before quitting.
+
+"It tastes like passion fruit and licking battery terminals at the same time!" Motes cried, bringing into being a glass of water to rinse out her muzzle.
+
+"I know, right?" ey said dreamily. "I hate it!"
+
+"So do I!" At least the water seemed to wash the taste away quickly. "Are the other ones better?"
+
+"Oh, totally!"
+
+Motes dipped her fingers into the glass and flicked some of the water at Warmth. "Then why the fuc– why the frick did you give me *this* one?"
+
+"Because you are a fatty and because it would be fun and because I knew you would be honest in your reaction," it said, preening.
+
+"Yeah, well, I honestly hate it."
+
+"Mmhm! But you saying 'passion fruit' was new! Rye just said it was "sour and sweet and unpleasant" and Praiseworthy would not try it at all. Now I can compare it to passion fruit and try new things."
+
+"Rye is always too polite," Motes said, grinning. "But I like her!"
+
+It nodded. "She really is, and I love her. She is...mm," ey squinted up at the trees, hunting for words. "We are kind of like an extended family, yes? Like, you have your ma and Bee, and big sister Slow Hours, and so on, all super close, but my stanza is like a bunch of piblings and niblings. We all like each other, and we love family get-togethers, and Rye is the best at making them happen. She wants us all to be happy."
+
+She waved away the fork and glass of water, flopping back onto the grass once more. "That is why I like her, yeah," she said, folding her paws over her belly, pensive.
+
+Warmth dismissed the *frahabrodåt* and stretched out on their belly. "Now why did *you* get all mopey all of the sudden?"
+
+
+
+(things to talk about: Warmth as babiest Odist (most recently forked), incorporating most of down-trees than any other Odist)