<I agree.> Leareth paces, tail lashing back and forth. <...I wonder if Mhalir felt it was - not less awful, but more - fair play, to enslave Alloran, when Alloran was involved in the decision to use a bioweapon on the Hork-Bajir world. Because he thought the latter was obviously a far, far greater harm to the world. I - intuitively tend to agree, but I also know the Andalites believe they were saving the Hork-Bajir from a far worse fate, so...> Tail-shrug. 

<Any of us would have preferred to die> he agrees. <I do not know about the Hork Bajir. We - might have done it anyway, for the sake of other peoples, but I think we would have - thought about it very differently, if we considered it a wrong to the enslaved instead of the one mercy still in our power to offer them. We still - understood it to be monstrous. The commanders who weren't, well, captured, were court-martialled, when they returned home. 

If the Yeerks had tried Alloran that would also have been - an insufficient but perhaps suggestive sign that they understood the concept it was wrong to do evil things...>

<That makes sense.> 

He paces.

<...Do you still feel confused about Mhalir's choices in a way you are not confused about me?> 

<I'm not sure. I ...think not?>

<Mmm.> And Leareth paces, quietly, for a while. He wants to say that he wishes all this weren't so costly for Matirin, that he wishes he could help, but what's the point. 

<Are you doing all right?>

<Huh? I am not doing any worse than I was before we decided to run this test with Mhalir. I - would prefer this war not be happening. But I can live with the reality where it is.> 

<It will not last forever.> 

<Gods, I hope not.> Pause. <Are you doing all right? I know you are - tired - you seem to be bearing it as well as anyone could...> 

<I think I am all right. I - like doing politics, usually, this just has a lot of constraints and a lot of - building foundations underneath things while juggling them in the air.>

<I know. It is not a feeling I like much. I am glad we are both here to work on it, though.> 

<Yes. ...tail-fight?>

Leareth has plenty of time left in morph. <Certainly!> He's been practicing a lot, lately, and making more effort to get feedback on his technique, he wants to have more useful suggestions for Alloran next time he makes a trip to Velgarth. 

Matirin finds it really endearing how diligently Leareth is working on getting good at this. Also it's just a lot of fun.

He's probably not good enough yet to win against un-distracted Matirin, but he tries very diligently. Though it's fun even when he loses. 

It is - probably stupid, in any objective sense, but the first time he wins he holds his blade at Leareth's throat too long, again, takes a step forward like he would if he were sparring with Finleran. Just because he's curious. Though it is entirely possible that Leareth won't notice, it's only one second and he doesn't know how close a study Leareth has made of Andalite sparring customs.

Leareth notices. That it's out of the ordinary, at least, and - that it's in a direction of signalling more intimacy than the usual custom, he can't tell more than that. It's not that he's deliberately made a study of this, so much, but his Andalite instincts think that noting appropriate behaviour is VERY SALIENT. 

He holds very still, all four eyes on Matirin, seeming a bit nonplussed but not displeased by this. 

<Again?>

<I would like that.> 

They can do this for as long as Leareth would like; he doesn't escalate the end-gestures, but he keeps them up. It feels nice.

Leareth is in no rush to return to his work right now, especially since his most valuable contributions would be to Cayaldwin's morph-tether research and he doubts Cayaldwin wants to see his face for a while. He's inclined to keep going as long as Matirin will put up with, and see if he can win any. 

He's still not sure what the end-gesture means, precisely, but it's nice on his end too. 

And when he manages to win one, what does he do?

Leareth is so pleased with himself! He does the gesture too, holding his tail-blade at Matirin's throat a second too long and moving forward a little - it's almost not even deliberate, just the thing that happens naturally in this body when he's the most relaxed and content he ever is.

...He steps back, a little self-conscious. <Probably if I were an Andalite I would know exactly what that means> he says, dryly. <I am guessing it indicates we are fond of one another as people and feel close, but it would seem wise to have asked, perhaps.> 

<You have it about right. In our language the word for the tail-blade is also the word for a close friend. Someone you trust with their tail at your throat.>

Awww. Leareth likes that language fact rather a lot, he decides. It seems so fitting. <Well, I do trust you with that. Empirically. And I am very glad to have you as my close friend.>