First Taste (Animorphs, Human-morph Ax)

[RiversD]

A silliness that's been hanging around on my computer for a while.

Title: First Taste

Character: Ax (Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill)

Fandom: Animorphs

Authors Notes: I guess they escaped a thing and Ax and Tobias are hanging out as humans for a bit? I didn't write much backstory here. nbd.

“How long have you got left in the Morph, Ax?”

“Tw-enty five minutes. Tw. Tw-uh. Oooh! Twwwwuh. Tw-”

“Yeah, well, good job today anyway. Mint?”

Jake held out a half-finished tube towards the Andalite. Ax took it gingerly and examined the round white disc that came from it.

“What is it?”

“It’s a sweet, Ax. Sugar and flavourings. Mostly sugar.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

Ax brightened up considerably at the mention of sugar. He took the mint and rolled it around his fingers.

“It is hard.” He observed. “Will the teeth be able to break it?”

“They can, but most of us just suck them. Sucking’s like, um…”

Jake cast about for words- it wasn’t until you tried to explain something to an alien that you realised how little you usually thought about the mechanics of it.

“You trap it between the roof of your mouth and your tongue, then draw the, um, the spit, I guess… past it. Does that make sense?”

“I will try.” Ax decided.

He tucked the mint into his mouth. His eyes widened in brief surprise at the taste, before his face settled into an expression of thorough enjoyment. To the group’s relief, he seemed to master sucking pretty quickly, and relaxed into the rhythm of it.

Then he staggered abruptly back from the counter, flapping his hands frantically in front of his face.

“Ax?” Cassie moved towards him in concern. “What’s wrong?”

Ax gave her a brief look of uncomprehending distress before his eyes spasmed shut of their own accord and he sneezed.

“Ah’CHISSCHt!”

There was an audible click as the mint struck against the andalite’s front teeth, and it tumbled from his mouth. Ax stared down at it, looking just as devastated as such a tragedy merited.

“Um… bless you.” Cassie managed.

Ax blinked back at her.

“What happened?”

“It’s just a sneeze, Ax. You know what those are. The… violent exhalations, remember? You’ve seen us do it.”

“Y-yes…” Ax agreed doubtfully. “Is that really what it feels like?”

“ ’Fraid so.” said Jake.

“Jake? I th- I-”

“Again, Huh?” The Andalite’s meaning was pretty obvious, even if he was struggling to finish a sentence.

“wh- what do I..?”

“Don’t fight it, Ax.” Cassie moved round to put a hand on Ax’s shoulder. “It’ll happen on its own.”

Ax complied.

“ ah… ah… AH’sHSSCHuh!”

A fine mist hung in the air in front of him for a moment, then faded.

“Bless you.”

“Uh… thank you?” Ax hazarded, still sniffling.

“Not what you expected, huh?” said Marco.

“Nuh-not really. Why does that happen?”

“Well, there can be all kinds of reasons, but-”

“Mints always make my nose itch.” Rachel chipped in. “Ax probably got that part of me in the morph. Sorry, man.” She added as an afterthought.

“Oh. Is that dangerous?”

“Nah, it’s just a thing.”

Ax nodded. He prodded at his nose once or twice, wearing what Cassie usually called his “curious face”. Then he turned back to Jake.

“Can I try it again?”

Edited March 10, 2015 by RiversD

[Garnet]

Uh oh. Make way for the nostalgia train.

Animorphs was my whole fucking life when it was being written, and I have no qualms about saying that I had a big old crush on Ax. Human form? A-OK. Freaky blue space deer? YEP STILL GAME.

You captured his innocent inquisitiveness so nicely. Also cracking up at Jake struggling to explain such basic functions that races with, well... mouths take for granted.

ALSO. Mint-sneeze? Like it's a phenomenon that seems pretty common, but I feel like I've seen very little of it in the fetish community for some reason. So that was an extra little "oh cute!" moment.

N'aww, that spelling though. I can hear the unrestrained surprise in it. And the notion that he picked up certain sensitivities from absorbing different parts of his friends is... also very weirdly adorable? I dunno. It works.

GOOD JOB. ANDALITE FEELS all over again oh gosh.

[RiversD]

I have no qualms about saying that I had a big old crush on Ax.

Yep, Ax all the way. Although I had a small soft spot for Tobias, too. I don't own many of the books, so this was based on somewhat crumpled memories. I'm really glad it came across ok!

Thanks so much!

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

This is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E,I cant exactly remember what reading animorphs was like since it was a time ago but oh my goodness please write a second part!(if you want,that is)

[TaurielRiver]

Aaagghhh! You may have to excuse me while I kind of do a big melty implode-explode-jeepers-creepers-OHMYGOSH kinda thing here, because when I just READ THIS TITLE…

Never did I think anyone would be writing Animorphs here, and I am just YAY FREAKING OUT, because this was literally THE series of my childhood, I have read The Andalite Chronicles too many times to count (is it weird to say Elfangor was my first love??), and I could write a whole separate essay on my love for human/alien friendships… and relationships (oh yes…) to boot!

So this story. Man. This story! Ax being all curious-innocent and experimenting with his human-word sounds, getting all excitable at the mention of sugar (hehe… cinnamon buns anyone??), your nice reflection from Jake about the oddness of explaining something so habitual…

…And then this TOTALLY ADORABLE moment, his ‘looking just as devastated as such a tragedy merited’. Such a lovely line, the poor thing, someone needs to stop me from running in and hugging him to death right now!

I so enjoyed every single bit of dialogue too, all their individual traits are just flooding back to me, with Cassie being all nurturing, Rachel all hard and funny and down to earth and such. Your Ax is just perfect, a little worried and confused, guessing the correct response for a blessing but still being all …but… what is this??

And the ending, AW, <somuchcuteIcanthandle!!!>

[Snufaleeze]

AHHHHH! ANIMORPHS! Oh my gosh! So awesome! I love you for writing this! If possible, more?

[KickingUpTheDust]

OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT AX *squeezes self and rolls round in a giggly mess* I've been waiting for something like this.

I spent so much of my primary school time reading those books - and completely fell for Ax the adorable andalite. thank you for this!

[Orb]

I was OBSESSED with Animorphs during my third grade years..... Ax was my favorite character c*r*u*s*h and OH GOD I'm going to be addicted again!

Not a bad thing.

[RiversD]

Aw, you guys! I had no idea that people would... well... care so much about Animorphs. Possibly this is because I spent my teenage years in a country where I had to scavenge what volumes I could get from various library shelves (Which is also why I'm so glad this flew with you guys because I have not read the whole series and I was hoping I wouldn't accidentally miss something key)

This is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E,I cant exactly remember what reading animorphs was like since it was a time ago but oh my goodness please write a second part!(if you want,that is)

Wow, uh.

is it weird to say Elfangor was my first love??

No! He was awesome! (Although I may have just glanced at his wiki page and WOW did a lot go on in the books I didn't manage to read)

(hehe… cinnamon buns anyone??)

I understood that reference! Ax+sugar= a good time.

I so enjoyed every single bit of dialogue too, all their individual traits are just flooding back to me, with Cassie being all nurturing, Rachel all hard and funny and down to earth and such. Your Ax is just perfect, a little worried and confused, guessing the correct response for a blessing but still being all …but… what is this??

T h a n k you so much! *relieved author face*

OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT AX *squeezes self and rolls round in a giggly mess* I've been waiting for something like this.

I spent so much of my primary school time reading those books - and completely fell for Ax the adorable andalite. thank you for this!

Yay for Ax! Proof that adorable aliens are the way to many a young woman( or man, or variation thereupon)'s heart.

I was OBSESSED with Animorphs during my third grade years..... Ax was my favorite character c*r*u*s*h and OH GOD I'm going to be addicted again!

Not a bad thing.

I'm just so flattered that people who cared this much about the series appreciated my dumb lil' ficlet.

AHHHHH! ANIMORPHS! Oh my gosh! So awesome! I love you for writing this! If possible, more?

Gosh. I really hadn't thought beyond this, but... maybe I'll have to go in search of the books again, now that I (technically) have the book-location powers of an adult.

To you all.