Each episode of Long Live the Quinn had a subject matter around which the episode was planned.
And the first episode was about Zoology.
Averie walked through the corridors of the zoo, the camera crew following behind.
He stopped in front of a wooden door.
Director Keith Taylor.
Averie rapped on the door.
A moment later, the door opened, and an older gentleman greeted him.
"Welcome," he said laughingly, sparing the camera a glance. "I have been eagerly awaiting you."
"Why were you eagerly waiting for me?"
The man’s gaze jumped back and forth, a bit confused. "Well, I was expecting you, so..."
"Yes, but you could have expected me without waiting for me. I don’t want to cause inconvenience. And why eagerly?"
"Well, it’s just an expression—"
"Was it because you are a fan?"
His mustache quivered. "Pardon?"
"Do you know me? Did you like my acting in BSPH?"
"Yes, of course. I enjoyed it."
The man was beckoning him in, but Averie would not budge.
"What was the name of my character, then?"
An awkward silence settled in the room.
’This is gold,’ thought Director Harrison.
This part was not planned. Averie was doing whatever he wanted.
After a minute, Averie took a seat at the desk of the director of the establishment.
"So, it is my knowledge that you are the head of this place."
He laughed. "You could say that."
"You are the main man here, captain of the ship, leader of the syndicate."
The man silently nodded, chewing on his lip.
"Do the beasts inside call you Boss?"
"I... don’t know how that would be possible."
"Do they not?" Aveire raised an eyebrow. "That’s an utter lack of respect for the man who runs the place."
Suddenly, he snickered like a schoolboy.
"I suppose that’s why they are locked in there, and we are not. Humans are just superior, right?"
The man faintly smiled as an answer. He looked at the crew, but no one was willing to help him out.
After that, they proceeded with a short but solemn interview.
While leading Averie and the crew through the corridors, Keith gave a few dos and don’ts.
"Don’t give the animals any food. We have them on proper diets."
"Can’t give them food? Alright, we can give them other stuff."
The man turned to face Averie. "No, you can’t. Please don’t give them anything."
Averie shifted something in his pocket. "That’s a pity."
"What were you planning to hand them?"
"Oh, it’s just—" he pulled out a heavy chunk of metal "—a gun."
"Horse’s bollocks!" The man stepped back. "Why do you have it? Who let you bring it in?"
"Oh, um, I snuck it in."
Before the man could lose his consciousness, Averie handed the piece of metal to the crew off-frame.
It turned out to be a fake.
The man led him to the exhibit area, where all sorts of habitats were located.
"The enclosures are sturdy and well-maintained, as you can see."
He led them around a habitat, where a woman dressed like a zookeeper was waiting.
"This is Madelyn, our best handler. She will show you around today."
After wishing Averie the best, the man quickly escaped.
Averie pointed at himself. "Do you know me?"
"Yes." The girl smiled widely. "I am a big fan."
She showed him her phone. It had Asmodeus in the rain as her lock screen wallpaper.
"Your boss doesn’t know me, can you believe it?"
Madelyn didn’t mind Averie’s humor.
She gave the crew a tour of the place.
"Because it is such a large place, we have to clean it regularly," she mentioned. "It is essential for the health of the animals. We have to be careful; we have all sorts of wildlife here."
Averie noticed a white mammal staring at him from its rocky habitat, stupidly chewing on a tuft of grass.
"Ah, yes, goats, the wildest of animals."
Madelyn stifled a laugh. "Those are mountain goats."
"Quite built, aren’t they?"
"All that muscle helps them scale mountainsides, and as you can see, they have a thick coat that protects them from the cold. So, we have to always keep their enclosures cool."
"Take care of the less fortunate that much, and humanity would be fine," Averie muttered.
The next animal on exhibit was a herd of majestic elephants. Thick metal wires were separating them from Averie and the group.
"These are Asian elephants." Madelyn petted the trunk of the closest one. "They are also called Asiatic elephants."
She told Averie some trivia.
"...and they are intelligent animals."
She looked very excited, as if someone were praising her baby.
"They have the abilities required for tool use and tool-making. They have been observed grieving, learning, allomothering, mimicking, and playing. They have also shown qualities like altruism, compassion, cooperation, and self-awareness. Their memory and language skills are also exceptional."
"Good memory, huh?" Averie tapped his chin in contemplation. "Let’s test it."
He took out a deck of cards from his pocket, shuffled it, took out a random card, and showed it to the elephant.
"Ace of hearts." He waved it in front of the giant. "Remember it."
He selected four more random cards from the deck, shuffled them with the ace of hearts, and arranged the five cards in front of the elephant, face up.
"Alright, go ahead," he said while holding a banana in his hand.
After a moment’s hesitation, the large animal’s trunk coiled around the banana. It snatched the sweet fruit, placed it in its mouth, and chewed with a face that Averie reckoned was full of joy.
Like a good host, he turned to the handler.
"Not so smart, is he?"
He shook his head as if disappointed.
"No need to make excuses for him. He is dumb."
Madelyn continued her facts and trivia.
"They are considered endangered species as poachers continue to hunt them for ivory." She turned to Averie, her ponytail brushing against her collar. "Any questions?"
"Oh yes, give me a second."
He pulled out a list he had been scribbling on and wore a pair of sunglasses as if they were reading glasses.
"How much," he squintingly read, "does this bad boy excrete?"
Madelyn covered her trembling lips.
"A single elephant can produce up to 100 kilograms daily."
Averie was in awe of that number.
He looked at the giant staring at him and gave him a salute.