driftfleet | ship mingle: february is for starstruckers.

What's a zoo?

[ He moves the tiger so it's in the center, cautiously eyeing her. ]

[Wanda blinks at Kubo for a moment, caught off guard for a second by his question. She recovers quickly though, returning to her gentle smile from before. She's been in the Fleet long enough now that she can recognize when someone is from a different time or place where things may differ vastly from her own home.]

It is a place where people can go to see many different types of animals. Lions, tigers, polar bears, monkeys, elephants, all sorts of different species.

[She looks again at the origami critters. They were kind of cute really.]

Though they tend not to be made of paper.

I haven't seen many of these animals. My mother described them to me and I just make them.

[ It's easy when you have magic at hand - his imagination and the words filled in a more realistic picture than his hand-made origami could. Though he still practiced the folds. ]

[She leans in to get a better look at one of them, but she doesn't touch. That'd be rude without asking.]

Your mother taught you to make these?

Yeah. She used to be really good at origami.

[ He pulls his hands back. ]

You seem pretty good at it yourself.

[Her eyes fixing on the crane for a moment. She'd always wanted how to make one herself.]

It's part of my work so I have to be.

[ He'd be a pretty poor magical story-teller if he didn't know the intricate ins and outs of origami. ]

I can teach you if you want.

You would? You'd teach me?

[Wanda's face lights up at that.]

I would very much like that. Thank you.

What kind of work do you do that involves these?

[He doesn't seem that old, so he couldn't possibly be referring to having a "real" job, right? Plus, Wanda couldn't think of an occupation off the top of her head that would involve origami.]

[ Kubo doesn't get the enthusiasm. It's only origami . . . still he nods. ]

I'm a story-teller. I perform from morning to evening.

You must know a lot of stories then.

[To tell stories from morning to evening... that has to be quite a number of stories. Even more impressive that he performs them at such a young age.]

Which one is your favorite to tell?

Usually the ones about the . . . samurai Hanzo.

[ His father. At the time it was the only way Kubo knew how to be closer to him. ]

The samurai Hanzo? I have never heard those. You will have to tell me them sometime.

[She smiles gently down at him.]

How does one story and one origami lesson cost?

Five coins.

[ But then he scrunches up his face. The sudden realisation that he has no idea how the currency works on the Fleet shows clear as day. ]

[That causes Wanda's smile to brighten. She holds back a giggle however. Thinking that might seem rude.]

Hmmm... well, I don't have any coins. But how about five cookies? Or brownies. Your choice.

I . . . don't know what those are.

[ Should we know what those are? They don't sound familiar. ]

[Okay, this time she's thrown a little bit. Who has never heard of cookies? This poor child is going to get stuffed with sweets now.]

Have you never had a cookie before? Or a brownie?

Should I have?

[ Kubo isn't comprehending what the issue is here. ]

[She opens her mouth to respond, but stops herself for a moment -- seemingly reconsidering her words.]

Not... necessarily, I suppose.

Hmmm, well, in that case, I have something you should try.

[She starts off in the direction of the ship's kitchen. She stops and motions with her head for Kubo to follow her if he wants.]

[ Kubo shoulders his bag as he follows Wanda through the ship. ]

What am I trying?

[She smiles back at him.]

A cookie, of course.

[A quick stroll, and they arrive in the Starstruck's kitchen. The mountain of baked goods Wanda had made for her belated Christmas gift venture had diminished significantly, but there were still some cookies and a few brownies left. She picks up two, one in each hand. She offers one to Kubo as she takes a bite of the other. She watches him with thinly veiled anticipation. It's one thing to have a taste-tester. It's quite another to have one who has never sampled that kind of snack before.]

[ Kubo bites into it tentatively. The sweetness of it is overwhelming for a child that only ate what was necessary and put all his energy into taking care of his mother and himself. He finishes it quickly because he rarely eats out of enjoyment. ]

[Wanda snorts and starts giggling as she watches him devour the cookie. Well, that's certainly an encouraging sign as to the quality of her baking.]

You can have another if you like. Though I'd suggest chewing a little more to avoid choking.

[She walks over to a counter to fetch them each a glass of milk.]

It's so sweet. What's in it?

[She returns to the table and places a glass of milk in front of Kubo. She then demonstrates the art of cookie-in-milk-dunking.]

Well, sugar for one. There are also chocolate chips in these ones, and I also added a bit of vanilla to them as well. They are not too sweet are they?

[ Kubo eats slower this time, taking time to feel it in his mouth. ]

They are, but that's okay.

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