Marduk's lusus is adorable and you love it and you want ten of them. It shoved past the rustblood and went straight to you, eyes on the jerky in your hand.

"Mrph," it tells you, fixing you with its big, sad eyes as it licks its lips, and how are you supposed to say no to that? The grateful way the little scaled meowbeast scarfs down the meat and licks your hand afterwards is worth it.

You love it so much.

"I think he loves me the best," you tell Marduk and Castor, but they're both ignoring you in favor of gawking at the palespat over in the corner. Castor's smirking, but Marduk just looks incredibly awkward: her eyes keep drifting up towards the ceiling whenever she thinks anyone is looking, but she's watching just as much as Castor. Weird. It's not that funny.

"You do love me the best, don't you?" Marduk's lusus purrs at you and butts its head aganist your hand, and oh, you have got to find more food in here.

What do lusii eat? Your isopod colony is just about ready to harvest...