Magali inhaled deep through her nose, taking it this new olfactory scent of freedom. It smelled like one of the cleaner of the ships she'd been rented off to, but in this one she would never have to spread her legs for another unless she chose to. She watched the pilot and the other nice redhead disappear into their own rooms with a small smile. They were a cute couple, really, and one she was thankful for. The way she saw it, Fikri had saved them, and Rosalind provided the means for him to do it. She, like Fikri, was a hero. The latter of which disappeared as soon as they entered the ship. Her ears drooped again as she wondered at his story.
“Honestly, amigo? Our crew isn't that big, and this is a new ship. There's enough space for everyone to have their own rooms, but a few of us are coupling up, so there's even more room. It's a new ship, so few have claimed their rooms. Far as I can tell, any of these are ripe for the taking. You won't offend anyone,” Mendez shrugged, exuding the usual air of simply rolling with the punches and leaned against the wall. He wasn't going to retreat to his own room until the guests have been taken care of and settled. “Yes, we have, but his wound is fresh. Let him mourn in peace. I'll probably check up on the gato later, but for now I assume he just wants to be alone. I know we've all seen some shit. I wake up every day just thankful for the fact that I haven't been devoured yet. Trust me, I get it. But everyone has their own story, their own experiences, si? And everyone handles those experiences differently. Nokra, lemme ask you something, you ever been in love? I mean...really, really in love? Well, Fikri has. And that love is dead.” He shuddered, remembering the sight of the woman bleeding purple. There was still some purple in the old ship that just...wouldn't come up.
“Well, uh. Anyway, that being said, I'm not leaving the two of you to flounder just yet, however, I'll be in the kitchen and I'll make enough for three. Just pop in whenever you're hungry, si?” With that, Mendez did make his way over to the kitchen, leaving the two felis to decide where they wanted to stay. To him, it wasn't that much of a big deal. Aside from the big room that Riola and Rosalind rightfully claimed, the rest of the rooms were uniform. It wouldn't matter at all which they chose. To Magali though, this decision was huge. She had the opportunity for her own room, a thought terrifying in and of itself. Of all of those terrible nights being a slave, she knew she could always come home to Nokra. He'd always been there. There wasn't a night that she had spent alone since she was kitten.
“If-if-if you don't mind...could we...could we share?” she squeaked, looking up at Nokra through the tops of sheepish eyes. “I've...I've never slept on my own before...”
Rosalind offered her partner a sleepy smile. The man looked as ragged as she felt, and she was glad that the day was now finally winding to a close. She'd spent three cycles awake, and through all of it troubles threatened, or did, come. Now, she was just going to pray nothing knew they were on Hazoo, and if they did, not knowing about her brand new ship. She clambered into bed beside the Edensian and stroked his cheek just before planting a kiss in that spot, “Ah'll be 'ere when ye wake, love.”
–
Now alone, Fikri looked at his bags on the floors and sighed. It seemed he would be carrying baggage from here on out, the baggage of the one surviving lover being the heaviest to carry around. A sour metallic taste lingered on his tongue as he bit back tears. This would be the room that he'd be able to share with Vail had she still been with them. He could imagine her sitting on his bed in meditation, silently, as he himself worked noiselessly on a painting or sketch. One of the canvases that sat propped up in the corner was done in that exact same scenario, and it was one that Fikri hoped never to forget. She was so beautiful, peaceful, wise. Far from perfect, she'd learned from her mistakes. He only hoped he could do the same.
He sat back against the door, fumbling for the pyramid. Almost dropping it once, he corrected himself and twisted the top. He leaned back letting the feeling of love wash over him. It was warm, enveloping, and all he could see as he closed his eyes was Vail's face, smiling back at him. He could almost reach out and touch those smooth cheeks. This was where he could meet her again, if only in his dreams.
The bags could wait.
–
Ashi was, at this point, a bloodied mess. Her arms no longer did any measure for protection, at least one of them mangled beyond any movement. She'd taken hits to almost every part of her body and she could see the lights of the club swirling about behind her cloudy vision. Perhaps her taunt was ill-placed, but the crowd certainly seemed to enjoy it. She couldn't find it in her to answer Shaldag's question, any words she would have tried to muster came out in a strangled choke.
The crowd turned into an amorphous mass surrounding her, alien tongues and Galactic Common coming together in a blur of unintelligible noise. If they were taking bets on her survival, she no longer cared. Tenn seconds left, Shaldag. You gonna sock, you might make this one your best shot, were the only words Ashi could make out. The end was near, but the worst was coming.
When his fist made connection with her kneecap, she instantly sat up screaming, tears running down her face. Pain coursed through her entire body as her eyes snapped open with sudden clarity. Her leg was now as useless as her arm, and any other wounds that she'd received now faded into the background. Please let it be over, please, please, please...