Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

Babysitting

Dr. Riss took a sip of his sugar tea (really just a term the Vrul used to describe warm sugar water) and looked across the table at Krill raising one eye ridge in a practiced arch. Eyebrow raising shouldn't have been possible on a Vrul, and the expression itself was extremely strange on such a nonhuman face, but with judicious practice and discipline, Riss had had come to master the expression enjoying the ability to show silent distain without having to say anything. Krill was miffed by Riss's superior ability in the eyebrow raising department pointing out that distain was usually his area of expertise. Riss had countered by pointing out that you couldn't hold a monopoly on a state of emotion.

Krill had begged to differ and to this day, the matter had still not been solved, even over numerous cups of sugar tea.

"You will want to stop looking at me like that." Krill said eyeing Riss from across the table as he took a sip from his own teacup,

"Look at you like what."

"Skeptically, like you don't believe me."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to, and I stand by my statement that I officially know everything there is not know about humans, in fact. I am the Universe's number one leading expert on human anatomy and behavior. There is nothing that I have not seen or dealt with at this point. In fact, I believe I know more abut humans than the humans themselves."

Riss arched his eye ridge even higher making Krill glower even harder.

"Would you stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" Riss waggled the eye ridge in a rather cheeky manner as krill's antenna began to vibrate in annoyance.

"You are the worst kind of company?"

"Than why do you keep inviting me over for tea." Riss said with a grin. The expression didn't work so well in the absence of teeth, but he still made his point. Krill grumbled and sat back in silence taking another sip from his cup. And it was true, krill did in fact, invite him over for tea rather often. Depending on, his schedule, working hours and if he needed to speak to riss regarding a psychological consultation, they could be having tea up to seven times a week, or once every day. It also depended on how much Krill had to complain about.

In the end it had been months since they HADN'T met daily for tea. Though Krill would never have admitted it, Riss knew Krill considered him a friend, plus, though he would never tell krill this, riss had a working psychological profile on his friend, which included a statement about hwo krill wasn't happy if he didn't have soemthing to complain about. Krill was never happier than when he was angry.

And even if that wasn't the case, Dr. Riss found it quite enjoyable to needle Krill, a pastime held sacred by more than one resident of Arcadia. In fact, Dr Katie kept a pair of ballet slippers in her desk, bringing them out to punish Krill on occasion by chasing him up the hall on pointe doing those creepy tiny ballet steps that made it seem like she was floating. Riss was pretty sure it was called a bourree, but then again ballet wasn't his area of expertise. Personally he preferred the theater, not musical for obvious reasons , but he did enjoy a good theatrical performance every now and again. Krill on the other hand hated ballet with a passion which had something to do with the state of ballerina feet, though Riss had no desire to find out for himself.

As for pastimes, Krill was himself a bit of a snob, and fancied himself a fan of late Baroque era classical music. He often said that there was nothing he liked better than a good concerto, emphasis on the string instruments.

"The fact that you claim to know anything about humanity after less than a decade just demonstrates your hubris." Riss said. He could have let it slide, but he wanted to start an argument. He liked arguing with Krill, as it was an enjoyable pastime.