[daikokunyo]

Sabile opened his mouth very wide, wider than his head was tall. Somehow, that was possible. Hibo didn't have to hold his jaws open because Sabile assured him, "I'm not cracking open my jaw, I'm just slack-jawed. This is relaxed."

"Like when you're zoned out watching TV through your insomnia?" said Hibo.

"Yeah, if I had insomnia," said Sabile, his tongue waggling around in his wide open mouth. The pronunciation of the words was distorted, but Hibo was just impressed.

"You're pretty intelligible even when you're talking slack-jawed."

"That's not even the coolest thing I can do slack-jawed," said Sabile, and the next moment, Hibo saw that it wasn't only Sabile's teeth gleaming in his mouth. He had a universe in his mouth, fuzzy little galaxies bobbing like marshmallows in vacuum-black plasma. Well, it looked like plasma, but when Hibo poked it, his fingers didn't feel anything. The plasma-thing sort of rippled, the marshmallow galaxies moving with the waves.

"Huh," said Hibo.

"You've made a warp in space-time," said Sabile.

"Sorry," said Hibo.

"Nah, it's just a little crease," said Sabile, and shut his mouth.

"No wonder you have stars in your eyes," said Hibo, hastily adding, "not flirting, just couldn't pass up the chance to be punny."

"Yeah, well. Nice catching up with you."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah." Sabile flicked his tail and got to his feet. Hibo saw that he'd grown out his claws. He remembered painting them for Sabile when they were both practically babies. "I've got to go exhale today's night sky."

"Tonight's night sky," corrected Hibo. "See you later."

The next time they hung out, Sabile showed him how he could turn his eyeballs inwards to survey the universe. When Sabile's birthday came around, Hibo gifted him a telescope, just to be a little shit. Sabile just cocked a grin at him and said, "Lovely display piece."