If there was anything to be said about these aliens - the Vokkrus, Viktor reminded himself - it was that they were efficient.

About ten odd days after Vok'Rul and he had gone to the building to finalize plans, Rukka came into Vok'Rul's office to tell him that the festival was tomorrow and to not forget about it this year, or else.

Viktor, who had been peacefully eating his breakfast, had watched this exchange with gleeful amusement. Rukka had spared him a cursory glance, crouching just slightly to brush her claws against his hair. After threatening Vok'Rul, she took her leave just as quickly as she had come in.

Vok'Rul was stunned into silence, and Viktor couldn't help but say, "You totally forgot, didn't you?"

There was a thump and a groan as Vok'Rul's head connected with his desk. "No," he lied.

Strangely, though, Viktor was getting all excited about this festival. Sure, he was still nervous about it - anything could happen there, after all. There were going to be a lot of unfamiliar aliens likely clamoring for Vok'Rul's attention. Since humans were allowed, it likely meant that other animals were allowed, too, which meant that Viktor would likely face a few of Oorah's species. While Viktor was slowly getting better at not reacting to certain things, Vok'Rul hadn't had the chance to desensitize him to other animals.

But, the most important thing, was that there'd be other people there! Viktor hoped he could get over his issues enough to meet some more people. The only regular contact he had with someone was Pedro. At least, now with the translators working, he could speak with Vok'Rul. But it was still lonely, sometimes.

"What time does it start? How long does it last? Is it a multiple day thing? Can we go every day?" Viktor abandoned his dish of jerky - he was craving fruit anyway - to walk over to Vok'Rul, patting his arm as he peppered the alien with questions. He was still cradling his head in his arms on the desk.

"Kohgrash," Vok'Rul began, mumbling into the wood of his desk. "My adorable little Kohgrash, I adore you, you know. You are by far the best little human I've encountered."

"Uh-huh," Viktor said slowly, squinting at him. He shook his arm again. "You gonna answer me?"

"It's so early, Kohgrash," Vok'Rul complained. "Let me answer questions after breakfast."

"You eat breakfast in like, the middle of the day," he bemoaned. Vok'Rul moved his arm to pat Viktor's head sympathetically.

"Exactly."

Sometimes Viktor wished he couldn't talk to Vok'Rul. He figured the alien might be less annoying.

During breakfast, which took way too long to get started, Vok'Rul finally answered some of his questions. It helped that Thruul dished him some of that meat to tide him over, likely noticing his less-than-enthused expression throughout the entire affair.

"So?" Viktor needled, climbing onto one of the chairs and staring at Vok'Rul imploringly. "Answer my questions now?"

"What's he sayin'?" Thruul asked curiously, tilting his head at Viktor. Viktor squinted at him. He was eating a bowl of whatever soup he had made, settled on the chair by Vok'Rul's right side.

"None of your business," he told the alien.

"I thought you liked Thruul, now," Vok'Rul chided him, shoveling another spoonful of soup into his mouth.

"He doesn't like me?" Thruul's tone was sad, which made Viktor squirm with guilt.

"I do!" he hastened to reassure the alien. He reached across the table to pat his arm (which was a little awkward, considering the table was huge. Viktor had to throw over half his body across it to reach him). Thruul beamed.

"He's pestering me," Viktor gasped in offense, "about the festival."

Thruul nodded sagely. "You forgot about it again, didn't you? I saw Rukka storming in."

Vok'Rul growled grumpily, pointing his spoon threateningly at Thruul. "Not you, too. I didn't forget!"

Viktor nodded at Thruul. "Yes, Thruul. He forgot."

"Kohgrash," Vok'Rul complained while Thruul laughed. "Sometimes, I just have more important things to think about."

"Are we still gonna go?" Viktor asked hesitantly, suddenly wary that they actually wouldn't be going. Despite Rukka's threats, they all knew Vok'Rul would do what he wanted to. If the alien didn't want to go to the festival, then he just wouldn't. Plain and simple.

"Don't worry, we'll go," Vok'Rul was quick to reassure him. Viktor's shoulders loosened. "Rukka would have my head otherwise, I would think. The festival, while fun, can be quite tiring. However, I have no doubt we'll enjoy ourselves, Kohgrash."

"That's good," Viktor chewed on his lip in thought, watching as the aliens ate their soup. "What makes it so... not fun for you?"

Vok'Rul sighed into his spoonful heavily, nearly blowing some of the meat back into the bowl. "While I admire my people's tenacity and ingenuity, many Vokkrus seem to be of the mind that they need the Vokkra's approval specifically for their invention," he mumbled into his soup, staring at it as if it had personally offended him. "I can only look at so many iterations of the same invention and express delight so many times before it starts to become dull."

"Look at it this way, my lord," Thruul said, placing his hand on the other's arm. Viktor grew wary. He didn't want to witness alien PDA. "At least most of the inventions this year will be mammal-based."

Vok'Rul managed a weak smile. "I suppose you are right, my friend." His smile grew slightly predatory as he turned his attention to Viktor. "You can test them all, Kohgrash!"

"Well, I'd be glad to," he sniffed, crossing his arms. "It'll be cool." Maybe he'd get some new fruits there.

***

Vok'Rul told him all about the festival after Thruul had cleaned up and left the pair to themselves, much to Viktor's delight. There would be no watching two aliens painfully pine for each other, completely unaware of each other's affections.

"Okay! So, this festival. How long have you guys been doing it?" Viktor asked, hanging off Vok'Rul's arm as the alien carried him up the stairs.

"You are going to fall," was his worried reply, trying (and failing) to get a better grip on him.

"Worrywart," Viktor snorted, rolling out of his grasp when they reached the top of the stairs. Vok'Rul grumbled.

"This is the 564th annual festival," Vok'Rul started, collapsing onto the couch with a huff. Viktor quickly clambered on after him. "It is seven days long. It is not a rule, but the days are usually designated for certain types of inventions. The first day is for food, the second for enrichment and games, the third for clothing, the fourth for artisan crafts, the fifth for music and other media," he paused here, eyes squinting in thought, "and I think the last two days are for whatever couldn't fit in the first five. Of course, it is not a written rule, but it is just how it has happened for centuries."

"What day is your favorite?" Viktor asked. Personally, he was looking forward to the food day. If Thruul came along, he was sure to get slipped a few new foods.

"I am usually a fan of all the artisan crafts," Vok'Rul told him with a hum. "There is a woodworker that makes these delightful little sculptures."

Viktor wondered what kind of alien woodworking there was. Did they have little alien ducks to sculpt?

"What time does it start?" Viktor needled after Vok'Rul seemed to be finished speaking. "We should go right away. To like, not disappoint Rukka and all," he said with the air of someone who was trying to act nonchalant.

Vok'Rul snorted, seeing right through him. "You are worse than Nohkka when she had her first festival. All that incessant yammering and neverending questions."

Viktor huffed, crossing his arms. "Maybe you should be a little more excited, mister! Besides, it's not every day I get to go to an alien festival on another planet."

Vok'Rul made a noise, something between sad and thoughtful. "I am... trying to get the council to see your sentience, my little Kohgrash. When the festival concludes, it should be easier."

He looked up at the alien, feeling a bit vulnerable with how certain his yellow eyes were gazing back. "It's okay," he said slowly, reaching out to pat the alien's hand. Vok'Rul turned it, clasping Viktor's in his. "I mean, you said it yourself. Me and all the others were the only ones treated poorly. It's okay if there's a wait, right? It's not like anyone else is being mistreated." His voice was unsure.

"I should hope not," he murmured, rubbing the back of Viktor's hand with his claw.

"Kohgrash," he said seriously, tightening his grip on his hand. "I must ask one thing of you. When we go to the festival, you must stay by my side at all times. Or at least, where I can see you. I have many enemies who wish to dethrone me. This is not an issue. Usually, they are straightforward. However, some use less than noble means to do so. They will target you, just as they have targetted Rukka or Nohkka."

"Sure," Viktor agreed, eyes wide. "I wasn't planning on running off or anything."

Vok'Rul melted with relief. "Good, good. I fear..." he paused, releasing Viktor's hand to brush some of his hair out of his eyes gently. He continued in a whisper, "I fear what I may do should something happen to you."

Viktor's mouth opened slightly. That was... a lot. "It's okay," he eventually said, reaching up to pull Vok'Rul's hand away from his head to hold it between his. "I'm not going anywhere."

Vok'Rul just smiled at him, something almost fearful in his eyes. It worried Viktor, but all he could do was smile back.

***

Rukka, Kac, and Nohkka came over early the next morning.

It was too early, in Viktor's opinion. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon. He had been able to catch a few hours of sleep, but it was nowhere near enough for him. Hopefully, he'd be able to sleep in the car. Still, he was yawning pretty widely by the time Vok'Rul and he made their way downstairs to greet the trio.

Rukka looked impressed that Vok'Rul was already up and dressed in semi-formal clothing (Viktor still couldn't wrap his head around all the jewelry rules they seemed to have) and even complimented Viktor on his shirt. He was wearing a pale red one with some white script across his chest that Vok'Rul had told him meant nothing, but Viktor was starting to get suspicious, especially with the amused looks Kac and Rukka kept sending him. It had a little pocket in the front, though. So he'd wear it without complaint.

"Hi, Kohgrash!" Nohkka squealed childishly, and Viktor realized with a start that this was the first time hearing her speak with the translator switched on. She was a little taller than the last time he had seen her. "Awww, you're so cute!" She reached up to pet him, tugging a bit harshly on his hair. Viktor ground his teeth together in a wince at the pull.

"Nohkka, be nice to Kohgrash, darling," Kac said, stepping closer to disentangle her claws from his hair. She guided Nohkka's hand to pet him more gently. Viktor held himself stiffly. "He's much more fragile than other mammals. He's just a hatchling."

"What the-" Viktor started, giving Kac a disgusted look. "I am not-!"

"Nohkka!" Vok'Rul interrupted cheerfully, clapping his hands together softly. "How's my favorite little niece?"

Nohkka ran over to him, gleefully. "Uncle Rul!" she giggled as he picked her up, swinging her around. "You going to the festival, too?"

"Yes," he responded, setting her back on her feet. "Kohgrash and I will be going with you and your mothers."

"Yay!!" she cheered, hopping around excitedly.

"Is Thruul coming?" Viktor asked, edging closer to Vok'Rul as Nohkka started to run around with excitement.

Vok'Rul hummed, a sneaky smile on his face. "Not with us," he told Viktor mysteriously.

"I still can't believe he can talk. And has sentience," Rukka said, frowning at him. Viktor frowned back.

"He is quite chatty," Vok'Rul said fondly, crouching to pet Viktor's hair. Nohkka interrupted him by tackling him in a flurry of limbs and claws. "Agh! Nohkka, you are quite the little warrior, aren't you?"

"Can we go now?" she begged, tugging on Vok'Rul's hand when he managed to get to his feet.

"Yes, yes, we can go. Come on, Kohgrash."

Viktor started to cramp an hour into the car ride. The only good thing that came out of it was that they had taken the limo, which meant more legroom for Viktor. Still, with three adult aliens and one, hyperactive kid all crammed into the backseat of the limo, especially when one alien was twelve feet tall, there wasn't enough room for Viktor as he would've liked.

It was even harder for him to fall asleep, even though his body protested against the lack of it. While the aliens weren't particularly loud, they spoke constantly, and Viktor couldn't help but listen to what they were saying. Vok'Rul would ask for his opinion sometimes, and the alien didn't seem to understand that his glares meant for him to shut the hell up.

Eventually, though, he must have fallen asleep, because he woke with a jerk as small hands threaded through his hair.

"Wha'?" he mumbled, voice thick with sleep. He was still in the limo.

"Kohgrash, wakey wakey," Nohkka cooed at him, petting him gently. "We're here!"

"Nohkka, give him some space," Vok'Rul's amused voice filtered through his translator. Small hands retracted and Viktor was able to sit up, stretching and groaning at the cricks in his neck. Wakefulness flooded him as he slowly realized that the limo had stopped moving and that he was the only one left in the car.

"We're here?" he repeated cheerfully, blinking up at Vok'Rul.

"Yes," the alien returned the smile, holding out his hand to help Viktor out of the car.

As Vok'Rul crouched down to clip the leash - the regular, plain one this time - to the back of Viktor's harness, he looked around curiously. Rukka and Kac were convincing Nohkka to hold still for just a moment, telling her that they had to wait for Vok'Rul and Viktor before they could go anywhere. As soon as Viktor and Vok'Rul were clear of the car, it drove off, leaving the five of them alone.

They were standing in a dirt lot, semi-secluded from other aliens. It was still awfully early, but the sun was above the horizon now. Despite the early hour, there were plenty of aliens in sight. Families, duos, and single aliens all made their way to the venue, which was exactly like Viktor had seen in the pictures.

"Alright, Rul. Let's go. Nohkka, behave for your mother. We'll be back soon," Rukka said, pressing her forehead briefly to both Kac and Nohkka before leading Vok'Rul and Viktor away from them. Viktor waved goodbye at them. They didn't wave back.

"Oh my God, you guys walk fast," Viktor said after being forced into a light jog to keep up. If it weren't for the leash, he could've taken his time. But it tugged on his back annoyingly, and Viktor was forced to keep up. "I just woke up." Warm hands scooped him up a second later, and Viktor was pressed to Vok'Rul's chest as the alien rumbled his mirth.

"You have small legs," Vok'Rul told him, dutifully following Rukka as she led them through the venue expertly. Viktor had a pretty good view from up here. There was plenty of open space in the park. Brown, spiky grass was accented by tall trees. Their lobed-shaped leaves, bright red and purple, offered most areas shade. Coincidentally, that's where most stalls were being set up. Some were completed already, but others were still being built. Rounded, tall tables were held up with thick wooden spikes that penetrated the ground. Above the tables were fluttering sheets of fabric, held up by thinner beams of wood. The banners Viktor could see were colorful, never similar to their neighbor.

"Wow," he breathed. The park was huge. So huge that Viktor couldn't even see the other end of it. Stalls after stalls were squashed together, taking as little space as they could. Viktor didn't even know if he could count how many he could see. The one they had gone to in that small clearing months ago was child's play compared to this festival.

"Alright, Rul," Rukka said as they got to their destination. Viktor tore his eyes away from the stalls to find a small, white building in front of them. Its doors were wide open and had a banner with script hanging over them. There were plenty of aliens slowly going in and out of the doors, chatting and rumbling to each other. Viktor felt his head starting to hurt already. "You know the drill."

"Yes," Vok'Rul sighed. "I do."

Rukka companionably clapped Vok'Rul on the shoulder before shoving him in the direction of the building. Reluctantly, Vok'Rul made his way inside, already straightening and putting on his political mask. Viktor looked around, burning with curiosity. He wanted to ask what the alien was up to and why he looked like he was going to his death, but he figured that he'd find out soon enough.

As it turns out, all Vok'Rul was there for was some more paperwork. Unfortunately for both the alien and the human, it was a monstrous amount of paperwork.

"Aw, man, this is gonna take forever," Viktor frowned at the stack of papers. The small table they were at was at the far end of the small building, secluded from the main entrance. Aliens came in and handed an important-looking alien their papers, who passed them back to Vok'Rul to sign. From what Viktor could gather, they were just papers about their stalls.

"I know," was the grumbled reply. Some aliens nearby cast odd looks at him before remembering that it was Vok'Rul they were looking at weirdly and quickly looked away. He dropped his voice to a whisper, "This is the part I hate the most, my little Kohgrash. The paperwork."

Viktor cracked a smile before dropping onto the floor at Vok'Rul's feet. He passively watched the aliens come in and out.

By the time Vok'Rul was done signing all the papers and the aliens had stopped coming in, Viktor had seen more aliens than he had ever seen before, even at the zoo. They were all kinds of shades. Different shades of pink, purple, orange, maroon, or red. The most common were various shades of red, but he had seen a few orange ones, too. Some were lanky and muscular. Others were short and compact. Others looked more squishy. Some had long dragging tails, while others had none. The diversity was interesting to look at.

Some aliens had smiled at him, cooing at him and trying to get his attention. Others had offered him food, which Viktor cautiously took with permission from Vok'Rul. It was mostly just treats - those small pellets of flavor - but one alien had given him a slice of limeon. He loved that alien.

After what seemed like an entire year but was probably just a few hours, Vok'Rul and Viktor gleefully fled from the building in a hurry. They both sighed in relief as soon as they got out, fresh air filling their lungs.

"Thank the Spirits," Vok'Rul muttered, quickly picking up Viktor and making his way through the stalls. He tried to be as unobtrusive as possible, but it was a little difficult considering his height. "Let's try and find Rukka, shall we?"

"Then we can try the food?" Viktor asked, leaning out of Vok'Rul's arms to peer at one of the stalls that smelled absolutely heavenly.

"You're such a little glutton," Vok'Rul chuckled, hoisting Viktor back into his arms before he could fall off. "But yes, we will try the food. There is a mammal section as well."

Viktor thought of the jerky, dry but flavorful, and shuddered.

"I'm not a glutton," he defended himself. "I'm a poor malnourished human, Vok'Rul. Abused for months. Fed with nothing but slop."

"Don't remind me," the alien grumbled.

"Exactly! So, I deserve some food, don't I?"

"I never said you couldn't have any."

"I'm glad we're in agreement."

Rukka and Kac were, perhaps unsurprisingly, difficult to find in the mass of aliens and stalls. As the morning progressed, the thicker the crowd became. It didn't help that they were often stopped by those passing by or in the stalls, calling out "Vokkra, try this!"

The food, whenever Vok'Rul would let him try a piece, was very delicious. So, Viktor wasn't in too much of a hurry to find the trio.

Eventually, though, they managed to find them. They were lingering near a stall that had quite a bit of traffic. The sun was directly overhead, and Viktor was starting to get hungry, especially with all the tantalizing smells.

"Hey, Rukka, Kac!" Vok'Rul shouted, drawing some unwelcome attention from those around him. Thankfully, though, it seemed they were more concerned with the stall Rukka and Kac were standing around.

"Uncle Rul!" Nohkka shouted back, quickly leaving her parents to barrel into Vok'Rul's legs. Viktor yelped as the alien wobbled slightly.

"Be careful, Nohkka," Vok'Rul told her, bending down slightly to take her hand. He escorted her back to her parents. Viktor peered around the aliens crowding the stall to get a look. He jolted in surprise.

"Hey, it's Thruul!" he said, waving at the alien. "Hi, Thruul! Hello!" The translator crackled in his ear, filtering his own voice through it.

"Hi, Kohgrash!" Thruul responded merrily, giving an orange alien a bowl of thick soup. Rukka and Kac had their own bowls, steaming in their hands. Behind the stall, which was covered in a maroon banner with some tactful blue text splattered across it, were bubbling pots of soup. Ladles, pots, and bowls were stacked high, ready to serve at a moment's notice. "Hello, O Vokkra!"

"Hello," Vok'Rul returned, easily accepting a bowl of soup in one hand. He and Viktor stared at it for a moment before Viktor wriggled out of his grasp, dropping to the grass awkwardly. He stumbled slightly. Over his head, Viktor watched as Thruul passed Vok'Rul another, much smaller bowl.

"For Kohgrash," he said. Viktor eagerly took the bowl, blowing on it a few times before tipping it back.

"Yum," Viktor sighed pleasantly after he finished his bowl. Vok'Rul smiled at him.

"Kohgrash sends his compliments to the chef," Vok'Rul announced to Thruul, who beamed. "It is a very pleasant soup."

It was as if those words summoned a million aliens. Soon after Vok'Rul finished his bowl and bid Thruul farewell, the crowd around Thruul's stall thickened. The five of them barely made it out with their lives. Well, Viktor was definitely exaggerating. Still, the crowd really made it difficult to move around.

Each stall they visited after that tried to offer Viktor some food, too, much to his delight. Vok'Rul would decline, much to his despair.

"What if it makes him ill?" Vok'Rul had worried out loud.

"He got attacked by a Ghhorrah'vok, Your Majesty," Kac said dryly, deftly plucking out a slice of dried meat from Nohkka's hands and giving it back to the vendor. She pouted adorably. "And he walked away with barely a scratch." Viktor snorted, scratching the side of his face. "I think he would be fine."

"Plus, how do you know if it's poisonous if you don't try it?" Viktor informed Vok'Rul cheekily. He looked longingly at the stall they passed, which had some sort of sizzling meat skewers on display. The alien closed his eyes briefly in resignation.

"No more Vokkrus food for you, Kohgrash. We'll go to the mammal section after this. At least I know that's safe."

"You're a spoilsport."

The 'mammal section' wasn't clearly marked off, but it was pretty obvious when they crossed over into that area. There were humans, everywhere!

"Hey! Hi!" he called to everyone he could see, waving at them cheerfully. Most of them waved back, calling back 'hellos' and 'heys,' sometimes in other languages that Viktor couldn't understand.

Vok'Rul kept tapping the translator in his ear with a confused expression written on his face. "The translator is not quite working," he told Viktor. Viktor shrugged.

"We've got a lot of different languages. I think there's like, 5,000 at least. It's probably way more, though." If anything, his explanation confused the alien even more.

"Why do you not speak the same?" Vok'Rul asked. "Surely, communication would be much easier if you could all understand each other."

Viktor shrugged again. "I don't know, man. I'm not in charge."

"Well, who is in charge?"

"Uhh, depends on the country, I s'pose. NATO is a pretty big group, though. So's Russia, I guess," Viktor got distracted by the stall they passed. "Whoa! Is that fucking bread?! Vok'Rul, bread!"

"Country?" he heard Vok'Rul mumble under his breath, obediently turning around to get a closer look at the stall. Viktor quickly dropped out of his arms to get closer.

"Hey there!" a brown-skinned woman shouted down to him. Her hair was the same color as Viktor's: a dark brown that was nearly black. Her smile was wide and inviting, crinkling her eyes at the corners. Viktor smiled back. She peered over the stall to look at him. "Wanna try some bread?"

"Yes, please! I've had nothing but meat since I got here," he complained good-naturedly.

"I know the feeling," she laughed. "Here, hold on a second." She disappeared from view.

"Greetings, O Vokkra!" the alien manning the stall said respectfully. Viktor couldn't see it, too short to see over the stall. "Would your mammal want to sample some dough?"

"Yes, that would be nice," Vok'Rul said.

"Pear, get the limeon. Limeon," the alien said. Viktor let out a startled laugh.

The woman said something to the alien that he couldn't catch before appearing around the stall, holding out a chunk of yellow-brown bread. It looked pretty terrible; lumpy and uneven with holes all over the place, but it certainly smelled like bread.

"Here you go! It tastes like lemon bread if you've ever had anything like that. I'm Alex, by the way."

"Viktor," he responded, taking the bread in one hand and shaking her hand with the other.

"Aw, I love when they do that. It's such a cute little greeting they do!" the alien fawned as both it and Vok'Rul watched their interaction.

"Is this safe for them? What is dough made from?" Vok'Rul, the worrywart, asked.

"Oh! Yes, there is no need to worry, O Vokkra. My Pear made it herself! Granted, it took me a long time to figure out what she was trying to do. I didn't even know they could make such things! It was only after the fifth time she nearly set my garden on fire that I figured I could try putting whatever she was making in the oven to sate her curiosity. Imagine my surprise when she actually ate the dough after it came out! I had to rush to the vet's only for them to tell me she was perfectly fine," the alien rambled, gesturing to Alex. Vok'Rul listened attentively."It's made from several plants and dried fruits. I thought I was going crazy when cups kept disappearing from my cabinets, but imagine my surprise when I found them shoved under the couch with the fruit I had been giving Pear! Apparently, these fruits are the key ingredient in this dough. It's what makes it all fluffy. Quite the crafty little creatures, these mammals."

Viktor listened idly, chewing on the bread. It tasted pretty good. Grainy and lemon-y. "You made this? From dried fruits and stuff?"

Alex squinted, "How'd you know?" He tapped the translator in his ear.

"This is a translator!" he said excitedly. He pointed at Vok'Rul, who merely blinked at him. He watched him intently, probably just waiting for Viktor to drop dead or something. "This is Vok'Rul. He's like, the leader of the planet or something. Convinced him we are sentient!"

"Wow, really?" her tone was skeptical. Viktor couldn't blame her. Still, he nodded, taking out the translator and handing it over.

"Here, take a listen. Might be a bit uncomfortable, though. It's kinda a lot to process."

Her expression was still dubious, but she gave it a try. Her face scrunched up in pain as the wash of alien chatter started filtering into her ear, but eventually, it evened out, replaced with wonder. "Wow! You weren't kidding!" She turned her attention to her alien. "Hey, Orange!"

Viktor slapped his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. Pear and Orange.

"Teyk, Kok'mn?" the alien said.

Alex gasped. "Pear?!" Viktor had to laugh, then.

After Alex handed him the translator back, Viktor waved her goodbye. "Thanks for the bread! It was really good! I don't know when we'll be going home, but..." He trailed off. Alex's smile grew wistful.

"It'll be nice to see Earth again one day, but it's nice here, too," she said, echoing his wave. Her eyes got teary, and Viktor was struck with panic that she'd start to cry. Thankfully, all she said was "Thank you." They left soon after.

Viktor tried to offer Vok'Rul a piece of the bread, but he had declined, expression unusually solemn. Maybe that was for the best. Viktor didn't know if bread was bad for the Vokkrus or not. He patted the alien on the shoulder when he picked him up. "Don't worry, dude. It is nice here. I think most people have accepted going home to Earth is a faraway dream. Imagine everyone's shock when we finally go back!" Vok'Rul didn't respond. His arms just tightened around Viktor.

Viktor didn't mind. He quickly forgot about the conversation when he saw something that resembled candy. He steered Vok'Rul in the direction of the stall, having a similar conversation with the human of that one, who was a tall man called Louie.

"Yup," he said proudly, hands on his hips as Viktor bit into the sweet treat. It had the consistency of taffy, tasting like chocolate. "I've got no idea how it's made, but I call it chocolate taffy. Rob over there," he thumbed over his shoulder at the alien behind the stall, "kept letting me eat 'em. Eventually, they stopped making me feel sick and actually started to taste good."

Viktor squinted in concern. "That doesn't sound safe," he told him. Louie shrugged.

"Hey, it was that or die of boredom. At least dying of food poisoning is a little more exciting!"

Viktor decided that people coped with being uprooted from everything they've ever known in many different ways and that he would not question them. Like ever.

"It would be a shame," he heard Vok'Rul say, tone a bit colder than normal, "to find out that these safety tests you claim to have conducted were done on unwilling parties."

After asking him, Louie was quick to assure Viktor that he had been eager and willing to try the taffy. After the first test, Rob had been distraught, refusing to let Louie even come near the candies until he had perfected its design further.

"Yup," Louie said with a grin. "Thought it'd be a fun pastime!"

"Of course, Sire," Rob the alien spluttered. "Dpho-" the translator stuttered in his ear, causing Viktor a sharp stab of pain. "-is very stubborn, as are most mammals, I'm sure you know," he laughed a little nervously. "It took everything I had to keep him away from the food until I knew it was safe. He was very, uh, willing, Sire, I assure you."

"Excellent," Vok'Rul grinned threateningly, all teeth. "I'll take a bag of the little brown ones."

They passed by a lot of different stalls after that. He saw all sorts of food: dried fruits, fruit skewers, fruit jerky (Viktor shuddered a little), different flavors of jerky, and something that resembled honest-to-God cereal. It had tasted like stale Cheerios, lackluster without milk, but still excellent. By the time they had made their way back to Rukka, Kac, and Nohkka when the sun was starting to dip low and the aliens were packing up their stalls, Viktor was fighting against a food coma. He was also fighting for space in Vok'Rul's arms with the amount of bags and bundles of food he was trying to carry.

"You're getting heavy," Vok'Rul mumbled to him, trying and failing to look grumpy. He just looked fond instead.

"You're the one who wants to carry me all the time," Viktor said, head on the alien's shoulder. "'Sides, I'm not heavy. You're the super strong one."

"Uncle Rul!" Nohkka cheered from Kac's arms, waving merrily. Her clothing was covered with food.

"I'm glad I'm just the uncle," Vok'Rul whispered to Viktor with a light laugh in his voice. "Hey, Nohkka! Have fun?"

Nohkka started talking rapidly, gesturing wildly. She spoke nonstop about all the different foods she tried. She kept asking which one was Vok'Rul's favorite before launching into what her favorite was. Her answer kept changing every time she remembered to ask the question, though.

"Hello, my lord," Thruul interrupted, a floating cart - much larger than any Viktor had seen before - trailing behind him. It was filled with all of his equipment. The alien looked tired but pleased. "Oh, did I interrupt you, Nohkka? My mistake!"

"It okay, Thruul!" Nohkka said graciously.

"Wow, Kohgrash looks pretty full," Thruul cooed, reaching out to poke him. Viktor smacked his hand away half-heartedly.

"Don't even think about it, dude," he grumbled.

"Aw, he touched me," Thruul beamed. Vok'Rul let out a rumble. "Would you like me to carry some of those things for you, my lord?"

"Would you?" Vok'Rul sounded grateful. Viktor opened his eyes, which he had let slide shut as soon as Thruul was out of touching range, when he felt himself being shifted around in Vok'Rul's arm. The alien passed some of the bags to Thruul, who happily carried them out to the dirt lot and placed them in the limo. Thruul told them he'd serve them all breakfast before they left for the festival again tomorrow, to which Viktor gave a sleepy cheer, before departing with a small, cheeky bow.

Vok'Rul sighed wistfully.

"Get in the car, lover boy. I'm tired," Viktor commanded.

"What is lover boy?" Viktor decided that the best course of action was to take out his translator. "Kohgrash, ka ta sh korahn."

"Uh-huh," he mumbled, dropping his head back onto the alien's shoulder when they got settled in the limo. As soon as the rumbling of the car started, Viktor was asleep. He didn't wake until Vok'Rul pulled his blankets over him back in the mansion. "G'night, Vok'Rul" he managed to mumble before he fell back asleep. The last thing he felt was gentle claws carding through his hair.

***

Vocabulary:

ka ta sh korahn: you are so mischievous