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Eli tapped idly on his datapad, his eyes scanning through lines of organized data, his mind organizing the important from the unimportant automatically when the familiar whoosh of the door to Thrawn’s quarters slid open. The Chiss was in his normal admiral attire, but with the addition of a furry orange lizard around his shoulders. The new ysalamiri Thrawn had adopted off Mykr had taken well to the Chimaera, with the addition of heat lamps easing them into dealing with the colder temperatures that comes with living in space. But one ysalamiri, the one around Thrawn’s shoulders, wasn’t having such an easy time acclimating to the new environment. Thrawn had given her a name in Cheunh, but Eli had given her the Lysatran nickname ‘Iza’ for short. She was fragile, required more attention, smaller than the other ysalamiri, and more importantly, was completely blind. Instead of the big four black eyes most ysalamiri possessed, there were simply four cloudy white eyes in their place instead.
Eli looked up from his datapad as he heard Thrawn murmur to the lizard in a melodious language that he assumed was Cheunh as he sat her gingerly onto the floor.
“What did you tell her?” Eli asked, setting his datapad on Thrawn’s desk, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair.
“That I am setting her down. I am attempting to condition her to understand Cheunh as to not startle her when I move her suddenly.” Thrawn replied, his glowing eyes watching the lizard obviously try to orient herself onto the new open floor.
“They can do that?” Eli asked, raising a brow. Thrawn had done much more research on the ysalamiri than Eli had, and frankly he didn’t know how clever the lizards could be or how far their understanding stretched.
Thrawn nodded, still watching the ysalamiri, “Her brothers and sisters have already begun to pick up on my simple commands, but I wish for her to understand more due to her blindness.” He explained. The ysalamiri paused, and seemingly not liking being on Thrawn’s shoulders, turned around and began to crawl back to Thrawn’s boots.
“She doesn’t like leaving you does she?” Eli asked, watching her begin to climb Thrawn’s boot, her claws gripping onto the leather side of his left boot.
Thrawn’s brow creased as he stooped down and gently pushed the ysalamiri off of his boot via hooking a finger under her claws and repositioning her on the floor away from him.
“She does not. I wish for her to recognize myself and you, but I fear she has grown too attached to me.” He explained, “The goal today is to acclimate her to the office and to you.” He finished. Eli watched as the ysalamiri once again oriented herself on his office floor, this time she was softly chittering to herself.
“Is she complaining you pushed her away?” Eli asked, leaning forward onto his legs to get a better view of the lizard.
“Perhaps. Ysalamiri are quite communicative creatures. Each have their own personalities. It is either because of that, or because she doesn’t quite know where she is. Remember how Tegu makes it quite heard when he wants you to play with him? This is most likely similar.” He frowned, a hand on his chin, the pose that Eli affectionately dubbed as his “thinking” pose, before once again giving a gentle command in Cheunh. The ysalamiri chittered back tentatively and took a few shuffles away from Thrawn, her tail almost flicking out behind her as if she was checking for any obstacles she may run into.
Eli shook his head at how the ysalamiri seemingly spoke back to Thrawn before looking back at the lizard, this time who had shuffled a foot from Thrawn. Her shuffling paused, and she turned back around to the Chiss. A small smile touched Thrawn’s lips.
“Her spatial orientation skills are better than the others.” He remarked before gently stooping once more, encouraging her to continue her exploration, scooping her up, and turning her back around.
“Blind animals typically have heightened senses, don’t they?” Eli asked, watching as this time, she made it two feet from Thrawn.
Thrawn looked at Eli, his glowing eyes thoughtful, “Typically. Whether the enhanced sense is hearing, feeling, or smelling. It appears she uses her ears to locate where I am and feels her surroundings with her tail. She keeps turning around because she fears she has lost me or I have abandoned her in an unknown location.” He looked at Eli, his eyes softening, “And this is why I wish for her to orient herself in my office. I do not want to think we have abandoned her whilst we are on the bridge. When she is comfortable in a location she associates with safety, I hope she will be more comfortable being alone.” He finished, stooping back down to Iza and assisting with her going around the sharp corner of his desk.
Eli nodded, felt his heart warm slightly at Thrawn’s reasoning. Previously, he had asked Thrawn why he chose to adopt a blind ysalamiri to begin with, considering it would be more difficult to raise her. But he insisted it did not matter, and even expressed his fears of her struggling to survive in the wild alone if he did not intervene. Deep down, Eli found this entire situation slightly cute if not endearing.
Thrawn, a towering Chiss Admiral that only Lysatran legends spoke of, guiding a blind lizard around his office as to make her comfortable in her new home. Eli’s heart softened as he watched Thrawn help guide Iza. Always leave it up to Thrawn to take the time to help the helpless. Thrawn and the ysalamiri continued their little game of echolocation, with each time she got spooked, Thrawn would encourage her in Cheunh to continue her exploration, reassuring her he was right behind her. Occasionally, he would put his hand between her and the sharp corners of various art displays scattered around the office as to show her where the possible dangerous corners were.
Eli watched as the two finally reached the opposite side of the office before Thrawn once again gave a warning in Cheunh and scooped her gently up into his arms. The ysalamiri almost immediately snuggled closer to the Chiss, accompanied by several happy sounding chitters that she was once again back into his arms safely.
Eli shook his head, amused after watching to whole ordeal.
“What is amusing, Eli?” The Chiss asked as he gently stroked the ysalamiri’s head, his eyes narrowing amusedly, a single blue-black eyebrow raised as he sat behind his desk.
“You’re like a ysalamiri-whisperer, Thrawn.” He was only half joking. Eli had never seen someone have such an effect on wild animals before. It was like the ysalamiri simply trusted Thrawn from day one of retrieving them off their homeplanet.
Confusion flashed across Thrawn’s eyes, he had never heard such a term before, “Elaborate.”
“You’re naturally very good at handling ysalamiri, they trust you instinctively. Usually people get called an ‘animal whisperer’ for being good with animals. You’re a ysalamiri whisperer because of how good you are with them.” Eli clarified, a small smile touching his lips. “Personally, I don’t think I’m as good with them as you are.” He watched as the Chiss gently stroked Iza as he understood the metaphor Eli just used.
“Nonsense. Tegu quite enjoys his midday naps on your lap.” Thrawn chided gently, shaking his head.
“Thrawn, he enjoys sleeping on me because I am warm.” Eli countered, laughing slightly.
“Warmth most certainly contributes as to why he enjoys you so much, but ysalamiri are excellent judges of character. He trusts you, Eli. You give your compassion skills too little credit. Why do you think Tegu and Liz enjoy being carried by yourself more than me?” Thrawn questioned.
Eli’s facial heat increased with a blush at the Chiss’ compliment, recalling the pattern of Tegu and Liz, typically the most hyper and troublemaking of the ysalamiri, always acting much calmer when on his shoulders.
“Do you have previous experience with wild animals?” Thrawn questioned, his hands steepled in front of him. Iza was now peering at Eli, her head tilted like she was listening in on the conversation.
“Stray dogs are really common back home, plus my parents occasionally raised the wild Shaak in a field behind the house.” Eli replied, realizing what Thrawn was implying. His experience back home on Lysatra with calming upset Shaak or playing with the hyperactive dogs was probably the reason why Eli was also naturally good with the ysalamiri. Plus, it wasn’t like he disliked the lizards. He actually really enjoyed their company.
Thrawn’s glowing eyes narrowed, “I figured as such, it shows in your skills when handling them. Which is another reason why I believe you could also handle her well.” Thrawn stood from his desk and made his way around to where Eli was sitting.
“Your arm, please.” He requested as he gently lifted the ysalamiri off of his own shoulders. Startled chitters came from the lizard, quickly followed by the Chiss calmly sushing her. Eli raised his arm as Thrawn put the blind ysalamir onto his outstretched arm. More startled chitters came from the ysalamir as she settled fully onto his arm. Strained whines came from her when Thrawn’s hands left the ysalamir.
“Thrawn, I don’t think she likes me.” Eli said, looking up at the Chiss beside him.
“Not yet. She feels that you are different from me.” Thrawn soothed her in Cheunh when the ysalamiri began to reach out back to him, and gently pushed her back onto Eli’s arm. More pained whines came from the ysalamiri.
“Thrawn, I think she wants you. I don’t wanna scare her.” Eli repeated.
“Stay calm, and she will get used to you. She is aware I am right here.” Thrawn told him, his eyes determinedly on the ysalamiri, tracking her progress of her getting used to Eli. Eli took a couple of deep breaths, forcing his arm not to tremble as Iza calmed once hearing Thrawn’s voice.
“She needs to get used to your voice as well, try speaking to her.” Thrawn recommended. Eli took his other hand and softly scritched under Iza’s jaw, causing her to fur to raise in surprise at the initial contact.
“How does she know it's me holding her and not you?”
“I believe it is due to our body temperatures being different. She will associate you with warmer temperatures, and myself with cooler ones.” Thrawn explained, noting how Iza was beginning to once again calm down.
Eli cleared his voice, putting on the softer tone that he reserves normally for working with the ysalamiri.
“Hey there, Little Bit.” He greeted the ysalamiri, “You know me, don’t you? I’m always working with your Dad.” He started. Iza looked up at Eli, almost tilting her head at the source of his voice, her white eyes blinking expectedly at him.
“See, you know me. I’m Eli. I help take care of your other brothers and sisters.” He explained softly to her, noticing how her once standing fur was now relaxing. She took a single step up Eli’s arm, almost as if she was testing the new waters.
“I ain’t scary, your other Dad is scarier than me.” Eli teased quietly like he didn’t want Thrawn to hear what he was saying, and flashed Thrawn a small smile. Iza chittered back, a vaguely negative chitter coming from her.
“Oh, you disagree? Alright, he isn’t scary. You’re right, I’m just teasing him.” Eli teased back once more and moved to scritch at her neck. Another little chitter came from her as she was halfway up his arm when Eli looked at Thrawn. The Chiss was still watching Iza, just with an amused smile now on the corners of his lips.
“I'm joking, you’re not scary.” Eli clarified, just to make sure Thrawn knew he wasn’t being serious on calling him scary.
“I know. Thank you.” Thrawn said, bowing his head slightly. Being with Eli for so long, Thrawn had long picked up on the cues of Eli being serious versus when he was just joking around with him. Eli was ‘pulling his leg’ as Eli had called it years ago.
Eli haunched his shoulders slightly to allow Iza to crawl up onto his shoulders and around his neck.
“You got it, little one?” He asked her, moving a hand up to make sure she didn’t slip on his shoulder. Thrawn went to the other side of Eli to make sure Iza properly oriented herself before she promptly plopped herself down on Eli’s shoulder with a tiny huff.
“So dramatic.” Thrawn murmured.
“Very.” Eli confirmed as he straightened up once more in the chair, carefully moving in a way that didn’t jostle Iza on his shoulder, the warm ysalamiri’s grip briefly tightening on him.
“Is she comfortable?” Eli asked, reaching up to stroke Iza. Thrawn reached a hand down and straightened one of her claws into a better position on Eli’s back, “She should be. Just like with the others, make sure her head is on your shoulder, and is not dipping down onto your chest, it can strain her neck otherwise.” Thrawn instructed, gently lifting her head to the proper angle. A happy chitter came from Iza at the new positioning.
Eli nodded, making the mental note and settling back into the office chair and grabbing his datapad, pulling up the data spreadsheet he had been meaning to show Thrawn before. Thrawn excused himself from the office and grabbed a few of the leafy treats the ysalamiri adored. Going back to Eli, he gently tapped Iza’s snoot and held up the leaves. Iza sniffed the air before snapping the leaves into her mouth greedily from Thrawn’s hand.
Eli snorted, “She doesn't need to see to know where those leaves are, do you Little Bit?” He asked her as she happily chewed on her leaf.
Thrawn shook his head, “She has a talent for knowing exactly where her leaves are.” Giving Iza a small pat, he sat down behind his desk, reaching for the outstretched datapad Eli was offering him.
Eli was halfway done explaining the data trends that he had compiled per Thrawn’s request, when he noticed Thrawn’s normally attentive glowing eyes were no longer looking at his eyes or the datapad. He paused, his gaze following where Thrawn was looking, and saw that Iza had long since fallen asleep on his shoulder.
“I believe she likes you, Eli.” Thrawn said softly, the Chiss’ eyes almost beaming with pride, and for a second, Eli didn’t know if the melting Chiss or the sleeping ysalamir was cuter.
“Maybe just a little.” He conceded. His eyes softened and his own heart melted at the sleeping lizard. He reached up and scritched Iza, soft purrs filled the quiet office from the little lizard. Maybe she did like Eli, just a little.