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Acheron glanced at the cute critters crowding at her feet, their wobbly eyes staring up at her with wonder. Acheron had never seen similar creatures before — they resembled sweets more so than cats, unfathomably soft and warm.
They weren’t the only critters living here. A Tuskpir from the Xianzhou Alliance was dozing off on a fluffy pillow, placed at the center of one of the couches in the living room. There was also a mechanical bird, a virtual assistant designed to help around the house with colors and motifs resembling Dr. Ratio. However, so far Acheron had seen the bird only in picture, as Ratio had brought him back to his laboratory for a scheduled update.
Earlier — that day? week? she wasn’t certain — when Acheron had received a text from Aventurine, she’d been surprised. He’d wanted to thank her and reconnect, after coming back from a mission in Lushaka. He was surprisingly candid in their texts, she could make out his tentative honesty, as if he were traversing an unfamiliar path.
It became apparent from their exchanges that Aventurine was still recovering from his latest mission in Lushaka, for which he’d been given two weeks off. She was glad to discover his doctor friend was staying by his side, with how flighty he was in describing his condition — not that it surprised her, nor did she wish to push him for more.
It’d been a spur of the moment, when she’d offered to visit, but it’d led her here, after a dinner spent together, in which Aventurine and Ratio had cooked for her. Even with no sense of taste, she could feel the warmth and care with which those dishes were prepared. That had been the first time she saw Aventurine and Ratio’s critter-children, for which she off-handedly offered to babysit, for a couple of days, so that Aventurine and Ratio could go off-planet, for what Acheron suspected being a date.
Taking care of her friend’s critter-children was easy. This temporary arrangement was pretty much a vacation for her, too. At times, she spaced out, not accustomed to the domestic bliss permeating this house, but luckily the cake-shaped critters were there to remind her of anything she might have missed.
Before leaving, Aventurine had warned her that they followed a strict diet, penned personally by Ratio. Luckily for her, even when she was at risk of forgetting, Acorn, Bell and Rose were there to remind her of their feeding schedule.
Parmenides wasn’t nearly as active, preferring to sleep in. His only need was his daily bath, which he greatly indulged in. Initially, she had been worried the cake-shaped critters might cause trouble, as Aventurine had warned her not to get them wet, but it seemed like they were scared of the bathtub, to the point of only entering the bathroom in group.
However, the Tuskpir’s lack of appetite had her worried. She knew Tuskpirs fed on human’s dreams, but they could also sustain themselves on regular food.
She hoped it wasn’t her presence that made him uneasy. Had he accidentally fed on her dreams, the first night she’d spent here?
Nightmares were frequent visitors of her dreams, though rarely did she remember them. Aventurine had been very understanding, having dealt with nightmares, all by himself, for most of his life — and was still dealing with them, though not alone anymore.
Acheron didn’t want to bother her friends on their well-deserved pseudo-vacation, in particular if this ended up being a ploy of her imagination. However, as she fed the critters once more, and the Tuskpir stared unenthusiastically at his bowl, Acheron decided to reach out to someone she trusted to advise her well.
She detailed her concerns and waited patiently for a reply.
[swan]: It’s always nice to hear from you, dear
[swan]: I’ve an idea of what’s going on
[peach]: Thank you, I knew I could count on you. Are you sure you’re not busy?
[swan]: Don’t worry, I’m momentarily unoccupied, though I can’t visit either
[swan]: Next time our paths cross, I’ll hold you to your promise for another dance
[peach]: Of course, that’d be my pleasure, but what about the Tuskpir’s health?
[swan]: Oh the little critter is perfectly fine. I’m more curious about the other three critters you were talking about… I remember our dear gambler talking about them. I’d wish to talk with them. Can you set up a video-call?
After Black Swan carefully explained how to proceed, Acheron had the three cake-shaped critters assembled on the couch, petting their shells and rubbing their chins to persuade them to stay there. They were so soft, with their shells as velvety as the peel of a peach — they really reminded her of snacks.
Once Acheron had set her phone up, she answered Black Swan’s call. She could see the interior of the Astral Express, Black Swan lounging idly on a red couch. The three cake-shaped critters also seemed curious about Black Swan’s appearance, staring at Acheron’s screen with their unblinking, wobbly eyes.
“Meow?”
“Oh. Such cute creatures,” Black Swan said, smiling, “I could eat you whole.”
The innocent remark seemed to have spooked the critters, who froze, shell-shocked as they kept staring at Black Swan.
“…Meow?”
“After all, I’m sure your stomachs are quite full, my sweeties,” Black Swan said, her smile curling up. “You see, my dear recounted me the tale of her babysitting journey. Such a joyous moment, I’m sure your parents would also be in agreement,” — the three cake-shaped critters nod, hesitantly — “Shall I immortalize this moment, as a gift to them? No, why limit it to just this moment…” — Acheron had to admit Black Swan’s smug smile was terribly distracting — “Say, why won’t I stretch the offer to cover their absence from home? They’d be so proud of their sweet, sweet children.”
“Are you sure that would help?” Acheron asked, a little perplexed.
“Hm. No need to worry,” Black Swan said, “I’m sure it’ll all go smoothly for the reminder of your babysitting gig,” — then, softly — “I hope you’ll have pleasant dreams, tonight.”
Acheron smiled. “If you were to visit them, I’m sure they would be.”
Black Swan’s merry laugher was something Acheron hoped to never forget.
The three cake-shaped critters apologized profusely, the moment the fear instilled by Black Swan passed. They jumped on Acheron’s lap, whimpering as they rubbed their soft heads against her stomach and hands. She couldn’t really understand them, but she could tell this was their way of apologizing — and also hoping to convince her not to call Black Swan again. These little creatures truly had remarkable priorities.