jeriendhal | Fic: Altered Trajectory (cont.) (Reply)

A moment later Terinu returned, carrying a tray filled with teacups and plates of sandwiches, which he passed around. Rufus accepted the tea and ignored the sandwich, observing the alien boy as he sat cross-legged beside Matt on the couch, his long gray tail curling along the back to rest behind Matt’s head. Occasionally he would glance at Matt, as if seeking the older boy’s approval for something unasked. The look seemed to burn into him, forcing Matt to turn away.

“These are good, Terinu,” Hazel said into the awkward silence, swallowing down a bite.

“Thank you, Miss Hazel.” Terinu blinked, then yawned widely, covering his mouth politely with his tail spade.

“Teri, did you eat anything while you were in the kitchen?” Matt asked, finally meeting his friend’s gaze, a look of genuine concern on his face.

“I had a couple of the sandwiches and some fruit drink.” He yawned again and blinked. “I’m not tired, not really.”

“I told the old man he was pushing you too hard this time.” Matt stood up, Terinu automatically joining him. “Come on, nap time for you.”

Terinu got distinctly mulish expression on his face, looking a little closer to his counterpart from that other universe. “Can’t I talk to Mr. Brushtail and Miss Swiftfoot for a while?”

“I’m sure they’re going to still be here when dinner time comes around. Come on Teri, please. I’ll tuck you in.”

“All right.” Terinu went with Matt up the spiral stairs, holding his friend’s hand. When they had gone, Lance just shook his head.

“Whatever the Gene Mage is doing with Terinu, it’s been wearing the poor kid down. He’ll be out for a good three hours I’ll bet.”

Hazel looked suspicious. “When Matt said he was tucking the kid in…”

“That’s all he’s doing. At least I’m pretty sure. It’s not my business so I’m not going to ask. God only knows what they were doing on Bloody Chan’s ship, but I don’t think anything like that’s going on here.”

“I should hope not. If Terinu has to do everything Matt tells him to…” Hazel’s eyes crossed slightly. “Ah, I think I’m going to have to get out the brain bleach for that one.”

“Young Matthew strikes me as being an extremely clean-minded young man. Hardly the sort to take advantage of a friend like that,” Rufus interjected quickly.

“I've met too many humans to believe that about all of them.”

“Just so. Which is why we need to find a proper solution to this whole situation and protection for the ferin. Frankly, there are some sorts of people out there, not all of them human, who would find the idea of a childlike being who must follow their every command gruesomely appealing. I don’t think the even the Holy Den Mother has a proper punishment for them.”

TBC

NOTE: I am not the first person to come up with that speculation about Ferin abuse.