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“Good morning, Aya. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. I think so. Did you sleep at all?”
“It is not required. We were not designed to mimic living behaviours.”
“You do it well. How do you know when you are hungry?”
He tilted his head. “I am usually consuming.”
“So it is constant?”
“Yes. How do you feel this morning?”
“Good. Calm. Better than I have for years.”
He blinked. “You do?”
“I do. No traces of panic. I am sorry I was groping you in your sleep. I am a cuddler.”
“Yes, you are.” He smiled. “What would you like to do today?”
“Get a portable com and learn my way around the ship?”
“Sensible and doable. You also need a few more of the languages on the ship.”
She smiled. “Sensible and doable.”
He chuckled.
She looked at him, shrugged, and got out of bed. Today, she was going for another gown. It limited her shenanigans. She had less of an urge to climb things when she was dressed like a princess or priestess. It was like Halloween every day.
“What is Halloween?”
She looked at him and thought about it. She hadn’t said it out loud.
“Apologies. I am tuning to your thoughts rather quickly. It is a bad habit of mine.” He shrugged and got out of bed, walking to his own wardrobe.
She stared and kept looking, but the swirling concealment did a lot of work on him. He bore a resemblance to a giant wad of lint that appeared to work out.
He snorted. “That is one of the more amusing descriptions of me.”
“Okay, this is odd.”
“Do you feel you can get used to it?”
“Yes.” She realized she was standing naked in front of her wardrobe. “So where can I get some concealing mist?”
He chuckled. “I was born with it. What is Maybelline?”
She started laughing, thought of the ads, and he gave her prompts for different taglines while she put on a dress of midnight-blue crystals and heavy sleeves. She loved a nice sleeve.
“I have decided that I will tell you about the worlds the clothing designs originate from. That particular gown is from a Lefinian priestess. She is in charge of speaking to me.”
“Wow. That is actually a job? How much does it pay? I have been chatting at you every waking moment.”
“I am aware.” He pulled on a tunic and trousers, wrapping a sash around his waist.
She put the image of herself pulling on it and spinning him like a top.
