we're always running scared but holding knives
"We will make sure we put fresh food out every day for him," Isla confirms with all the reasonable patience of a mother who is also a medical professional, crossing the room to slip out of the sliding doors briefly to place the saucer of chicken on their balcony. She even makes a show of adjusting it until she's satisfied that the sear cat, should it choose to bless them with its company, will be able to see it easily enough to come and collect its snack.
She's already considering how many hels are actually likely to grab up the free food when she returns, but by that point Fern has requested ball and Everest has gone to deliver with all the precision of his human self and all the enthusiasm of a dog. "The best place to throw it," Isla explains, crouching down beside Fern and pointing out towards the kitchen, "is over there, so it goes as far as it can without hitting anything. Just make sure not to throw too high!"
It isn't that she's worried about things breaking - if they do, they do, though Ever might feel differently - but more so that he doesn't end up unexpectedly atop the fridge or on one of the counters.
She's already considering how many hels are actually likely to grab up the free food when she returns, but by that point Fern has requested ball and Everest has gone to deliver with all the precision of his human self and all the enthusiasm of a dog. "The best place to throw it," Isla explains, crouching down beside Fern and pointing out towards the kitchen, "is over there, so it goes as far as it can without hitting anything. Just make sure not to throw too high!"
It isn't that she's worried about things breaking - if they do, they do, though Ever might feel differently - but more so that he doesn't end up unexpectedly atop the fridge or on one of the counters.
Isla
