Fun at the embassy ((Locked to astro_girl and whoever else is there))

[liam_beckett]

((continued from this thread))

Liam led Zoran into his room once they got to the Embassy. This was where he had first brought Zoe, and it was where he was first bringing Zoran. The thought briefly crossed his mind that he might need to introduce Zoe and Zoran, but he shook his head. That could be dangerous.

"This is my room," he said. "Those are my toys, and my comic books are in there," he said, pointing to the massive trunk.

"The shuttles are outside. If we want to fly in one, we're gonna have to be careful. And sneaky. Cause I got grounded last time I went flying alone. And La'zahn or Cid usually insist upon being copilot," he said, making a face. "I can't wait til I'm big enough to fly myself around without a chaperone and not get in trouble."

Comments

[astro_girl]

Zoran was busy trying to take everything in though she stopped after a few moments, head tilted curiously.

"Who else is here?" she asked, looking around at the walls and ceiling. She had the distinct impression there was someone else around saying hello. The comic books could wait a bit.. after all, she'd survived being deprived of Astro's comics.

[liam_beckett]

Liam blinked.

"Well... La'zahn's probably downstairs, and Mommy might be around," he said, frowning a little. "Mommy's evil cat might be around too. But she hates me." He paused, remembering what Zoran had said about being able to talk to animals.

"...you might be able to hear the Embassy. Taelon buildings are alive."

[astro_girl]

"Oh wow," Zoran said before waving cheerfully at the ceiling. "Hello! I'm Zoran!"

She turned to Liam then, looking excited. "I didn't know I could do that! The embassy says hello."

[liam_beckett]

"I can hear it if I listen for it," Liam said. "But I have to try to talk to it." He smiled a little. "Talking to it helps me get into trouble," he said conspiratorially.

[astro_girl]

"I just kind of hear things," Zoran said with a shrug. "It sounds like fun, though. Maybe the embassy will help us raid the kitchen later?"

She finally took in the giant trunk of comics now that the immediate novelty of talking to the embassy was wearing off. "Wow. What's in the trunk?"

[liam_beckett]

"That," Liam said proudly, "is where I keep my comic books. I have a lot of them in there," he said, before opening the chest with a flourish.

"And the embassy should help us raid the kitchen. It's helped Zoe and I do it before."

[astro_girl]

"Awesome!"

Then Zoran looked at the chest more closely, jaw dropping. "Whoa. I wouldn't even know where to begin reading these." Of course, that made the temptation to try and make off with a few of them even more strong.

[liam_beckett]

"I think you might like Batman," Liam said, taking what, admittedly little, he knew about Zoran. "He doesn't have any superpowers at all but he can do all sorts of neat stuff!"

He paused, and added more as a side note "And he's the best detective in the world."

[astro_girl]

"Really? I'm going to be a detective one of these days. I'm already working on it! One of my friends at home is a detective and he lets me help him.. he says it's good on-the-job training.

"So can I borrow your Batman comics? I promise I won't hurt them!"

Yes, Liam, that is definitely sparkling you are witnessing.

[liam_beckett]

"I have a lot of Batman comic books. I'll lend some of them to you, but you're gonna have to bring them back before I give you more," Liam said.

Considering Batman was one of his favorites, you're lucky you're getting anything at all Zoran.

"And is your friend a good detective?"

[astro_girl]

"Pinkie swear!" Zoran said, offering her pinkie. Not that it would be easy for Liam to break it if she didn't keep her word, but it was the thought that mattered, right?

"Wally is an awesome detective. He's a million times better than Detective Tawashi. And he looks out for animals too."

[liam_beckett]

For a second, Liam made an ew face. Zoran was a girl, after all. But they were his Batman comic books. Which were his favorites only next to his X-Men comic books. So he caught Zoran's finger in a pinkie swear.

"You better bring them back. I get to break your pinkie if you don't. And if I can't I bet Uncle Will or Uncle Ron could. They're strong."

At the Wally looking out for animals thing, Liam blinked. "Is everything animals with you?"

[astro_girl]

"Promise."

Zoran sighed a little bit. "Most of my friends are animals. My classmates don't like me very much 'cause I'm a robot. And I have to be careful 'cause people could try to hurt me to hurt Astro and Dr. O'Shay since they're both famous and stuff. It sucks."

[liam_beckett]

Liam was quiet for a few moments.

"I kinda know how that is. I don't have many friends, because Mommy is a Companion Protector and even if she wasn't, a lot of the kids at school think I'm really weird anyway," he said after a moment or two. "So I don't have many friends anyway. I'll be your friend."

[astro_girl]

"Okay," Zoran said, a bit shyly. "We can be weird together."

[liam_beckett]

"Okay," Liam said, smiling. And then, as if to seal the deal, he fished out a few of his favorite Batman trade paperbacks for Zoran.

"Here. Here's a good place to start with Batman."

[astro_girl]

Zoran took them gingerly, examining the covers.

"Thank you!"

[liam_beckett]

"You're welcome."

He paused, considering her.

"Do you want to meet La'zahn?"

[astro_girl]

"Um. Okay!"

Zoran was a little nervous at the idea of meeting her very first alien. But it was too cool to chicken out now.

[liam_beckett]

"If you don't want to, we can go flying instead," Liam said, grinning.

Like he was really dumb enough to accuse a sentient robot of being afraid of anything. Nope. No way.

[astro_girl]

"I want to!" Zoran pouted a little at Liam. "I thought you said he'd be happy to see me!"

[liam_beckett]

"He'll be interested in you," Liam said. "I'm not sure he's ever met a robot before." Though he grabbed Zoran's hand the way he often grabbed Zoe's, and started pulling her downstairs.

[astro_girl]

"Well, good. Then it will be even," Zoran said, a little loftily. Liam didn't have to pull-- she was able to keep up with him. Not that she was particularly easy to pull in the first place, being a bit heavier than she looked.

[liam_beckett]

"You're heavy," he said, looking at her sideways. "And how is it not even now?"

[astro_girl]

She scowled at Liam. "I'm a robot, duh. And La'zhan is my first alien. And I'll be his first robot. So it will be even."

They made their way to the study, Zoran looking around at the odd mixture of stone and living wall on the way.

[liam_beckett]

"You might not be his first robot. La'zahn's pretty old, so I don't know what all he's seen," Liam said shrugging. Zoran thought she was a pretty big deal, so this might be fun.

As it was he peered into the study to see if La'zahn was in. It was his favorite place to hang out after all.

[astro_girl]

She stuck her tongue out at Liam. "Jerk!"

Still, she was happy to peer into the study as well, wondering just what La'zahn looked like.

[liam_beckett]

La'zahn was sitting in the study. He'd absconded with another one of Liam's comics, it looked like. And Liam frowned when he saw this. As for La'zahn he looked like a Taelon... though the floor length scarf, probably wasn't standard issue.

"Liam, who is your friend?" he asked, not looking up quite yet.

"Um... La'zahn, this is Zoran. Zoran, this is La'zahn," Liam said, edging into the study. He hated getting caught. He was supposed to be getting better at this sneaking around thing after all!

[astro_girl]

"Hi!" Zoran chirped, though she was keeping Liam between her and La'zahn for a little bit longer. Hey, he was still being a bit sneaky!

[liam_beckett]

"I see," La'zahn said, looking up from the comic book and considering Zoran. "My, you bring the most interesting companions home," he remarked.

"Yeah, well... we were going to go flying, but then I mentioned you were an alien, and she started being all girly and being like 'Oh wow, a real alien, really? I want to see!' And so we can't go flying until I made introductions."

Not like they would probably get to go flying anyway since going flying inevitably ended up in him getting grounded but it might be worth it. Going flying usually was. Besides, he didn't get what was so special about La'zahn, but then, aliens had been on earth for as long as he'd been alive, after all.

[astro_girl]

Zoran scowled and elbowed Liam. Though she was trying to be gentle, really. She'd lost enough would-be friends because she still wasn't good at controlling her strength all the time.

"Liam just doesn't have any manners," Zoran said brightly. "It's polite to introduce guests!"

[liam_beckett]

Liam oofed a little. That had hurt. "Zoran, you're dangerous," he muttered. He'd probably have a bruise, but he wouldn't have any broken bones or anything.

"Liam... perhaps you should listen the next time Zoe calls you the king of overshare," La'zahn teased. "This little lady looks like she could do quite a bit of damage. And would have no trouble keeping up with you. Of course..." He set the comic book aside and got to his feet with that same slow grace all taelons seemed to have "how she'd fare keeping up with me is another matter entirely."

Liam groaned softly. This was going to be fun, and it was going to be amazing, and they were going to get into trouble. "Mommy's going to ground us," he supplied. "We always get into trouble when you start talking like that."

La'zahn ignored him. "Zoran, what do you like to do?" he asked, smiling at the little girl.

[astro_girl]

"I can keep up with any of you guys," Zoran said with a sniff, her expression turning thoughtful at La'zahn's question.

"I like shopping. And Rocketball. And I'm going to be a detective, gut that's a job."

[liam_beckett]

"Shopping..." La'zahn said thoughtfully. "Well, it just so happens I need to go shopping. And none of the shops in London seem to have anything that I need," he said, looking at both Liam and Zoran. "So how would the two of you like to accompany me?"

"That's not really a question that you say no to," Liam said. Then he looked at La'zahn. "Where's Mommy?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Your mother? In some sort of meeting I do believe. In any case, it would be ridiculous to bother her for a simple shopping trip."

Liam sighed. Nothing was ever simple with La'zahn involved. Nothing.

[astro_girl]

"So what're we looking for?" Zoran was grinning. They were definitely going to be gloriously in trouble over this. Except Dr. O'Shay was a world away, so she was for once going to get away with it.

Besides.. she had a feeling La'zahn was feeling as restless as she got sometimes. It would be good to get out.

[liam_beckett]

"Adventure, for starters," La'zahn said. "And all of the shops in London seem to be completely out of it."

"You can't buy adventure," Liam said, though he was grinning now. "It's like trying to buy love and dreams at a store."

"Of course you can, Liam. You simply need to know where to look. You and Zoran are going to be my Protectors for the day. And we are going to the Mall of America," he said. "To start with anyway. So you'll get your wish as far as flying is concerned."

Liam whooped. That would make getting grounded totally worth it.

[astro_girl]

"Oh wow... Okay! Let's go!" Zoran was totally ready to go flying halfway around the world at a moment's notice. Really.

[liam_beckett]

"Come on!" Liam proclaimed happily, taking Zoran's hand in one of his and La'zahn's hand in the other. He wanted to be in the air like yesterday. And besides, the sooner they took off, the longer it would take for Mommy to catch up to them.

And that wouldn't be fun for anyone involved.