Chapter 3 - A Safe Place

Idris turned to see her just as she dropped into her seat. He said nothing and looked forward out the viewport. Brynn looked the same direction and watch as antispace gaped before them and a ship, massive enough to dwarf Atalanta twenty times over, appeared before them. Idris exhaled through his nose and looked up at the ship. Without warning, Atalanta lurched and began moving towards the vessel. As the tractor beam pulled them into one of the larger holds, Idris rolled his eyes, a little annoyed that they hadn't even had the courtesy of hailing him.

Brynn watched as the ship floated through the open doors of the hold and craned her neck, trying to get a better view of what was beneath them. Before them, she saw dozens of lines of small fighter ships and other ships still smaller than Atalanta, but two big for just one person.

Idris dropped the landing gear, waiting for the moment when the ship was released to stand on its own. The ship lurched a little as the landing gear dropped to the deck. Idris stood, and sort of muttered something like "wait here" before he strode out of the cockpit and down the hall to the landing ramp.

She gawked at him, mouth open. "Yeah, right..." She quickly jumped up to run after him, following him to the ramp, coming up behind him as he made his way down. At the base of the ramp were three men, none of their uniforms alike except for an insignia that Brynn took as a sign for whatever faction these men were affiliated with.

The center man extended his hand to Idris. "Captain Chariton. Nice to see you again."

"It's even nicer to see Captain Johansen and her first lieutenant were too busy to be able to meet me in person."

The man smiled and shrugged. "I doubt you'll be missing her, or she you."

Idris managed a smile and something like a laugh before the man turned to see Brynn.

"And who is this?"

Idris opened his mouth to respond, but Brynn cut him off, reaching out to shake the man's hand as he had done with Idris.

"My name is Brynn, Brynn Phytrelia. I'm a... passenger of the captain." She tried to pour all the confidence and conviction into her words as she could manage, hoping that she could exude as much of both despite feeling flooded with anxiety and apprehension.

He took her hand, but did not shake it, instead bowing his head down to her hand to brush his lips to the middle knuckles of her hand before straightening and releasing her. Brynn's cheeks heated a little as the man grinned up at her from her hand, standing straight again before responding. "The pleasure is all mine of course. I am Commander Darren. Consider my services at your disposal, Miss Phytrelia."

Idris' eyes nearly stuck in the back of his head for how hard he rolled them. "You're such a cheese, Darren." He shook his head and scoffed, suppressing a laugh.

Darren looked to him. "I can't help myself. You manage to swindle such a lovely woman into a seat on your ship and then bring her here to grace us with her presence? Failing to greet her with all the courtesy someone of her elegance is due would be such an unforgivable crime on my part."

Idris managed to limit himself to a small chuckle, shaking his head again. "Yeah, right. Whatever you say, smooth talker. But how about you help me out with my ship?"

Darren looked over the outside of Atalanta, searching for damage, then looked a question at Idris. "What seems to be the issue?"

Idris shook his head. "It's something new. It's almost like they managed to generate some kind of artificial gravity well that interfered with our antispace transition. Whatever it was, all of my sublight capabilities were fried and the stabilizers required to use antispace traversal were cooked."

Darren's eyebrows moved up his forehead in surprise. "That's some pretty precise damage, especially without any external hints of trauma left behind. I've heard a few rumors of other ships that were broken up by similar attacks. I guess you're lucky you made it here instead of joining the dusts of space."

Idris looked surprised. "Oh?"

Darren shook his head. "Don't worry, Captain. We'll have time to talk later. As soon as I have my mechanics finish up their current repairs, you'll be next on the list. I'll also see if we can spare any extra weapons. We've made some upgrades to our own squadrons and the extras are likely to go to scrap rather than having us haul them around for months until we can offload them."

Idris smiled warmly and thanked him. "If you need us-me... if I need to get out of your way to allow you to do your work, just notify me."

"Major Graph will work with you to get you assigned to temporary quarters, until we can finish repairs."

The man to his left, assumedly Graph, saluted Idris and shook his hand firmly.

"Thank you. Lead the way."

Darren nodded to Idris, also saluting one last time. He them made a point to turn to Brynn again, bowing his head towards her more than a little, and then walked away with the other man.

"Captain Chariton. I have already made preparations for you to have an assigned space onboard. Please, follow me."

Idris nodded. "Yes, of course."

Brynn smiled and walked alongside Idris as he followed.

When they arrived at the quarters, Brynn was impressed at the level of luxury the accommodations offered. "Wow. Are all the rooms like this?"

Graph's solemn expression, and Idris' obvious discomfort, clearly indicated that some kind of exception had been made. Idris shifted his weight a little and avoided eye contact.

"Oh. Sorry."

Major Graph shook his head. "Not at all. The other individuals onboard already have permanent arrangements, so the only ones left are intended for individuals that expect..." He cleared his throat a little and forced a smile. "... Well, 'extra,' you could say."

Brynn held her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. "Is that the profile Captain Chariton falls into according to your standards?"

Idris and Graph looked at each other for a moment and then looked at Brynn. Major Graph appeared to be struggling to articulate a response, so Idris came to his rescue. "No. Not typically. It's more of a 'This is all we had left,' more than anything."

Major Graph nodded a little, very hesitantly, but still in agreement.

"Well, I appreciate it. Thank you." She smiled back at Graph and then looked around the room again, suddenly noticing something she'd overlooked. She immediately became silent and looked at Idris, blushing. "Idris. Is this room... supposed to be for both of us?"

Idris and Brynn both turned from each other to look at Graph. Graph immediately became very still and looked between them, then to the room. "Well... yes. I... I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you would-"

Brynn held up her hand, laughing uncomfortably. "No, no not at all, Major. I'm... I'm sure that Captain Chariton and I will be just fine."

Idris looked at her in surprise and paled obviously, then he turned to Major Graph and swallowed a little before nodding and forcing a smile. "Yes, of course. We're completely fine. Thank you for your help."

Major Graph nodded. "Of course. Please have a nice day, Captain." He saluted and nearly ran out of the room to get back into the corridor. Idris did not even have a chance to return the salute.

Brynn looked at him and started to laugh a little. "Well, how do we settle this?"

Idris looked a question at her. "What? Settle what? What do you mean?"

She wrinkled her forehead and opened her arms, turning to indicate the room. "Well, I only see one space for someone to... Well, rest?"

Idris nodded. "Right. And so what is there to settle?"

"Well, who-"

"Who? You are the one who was nearly killed by the people who stranded us, so I'll take the chair," he motioned at the chair that looked plain, but comfortable, "and you will be sleeping in the bed."

"Idris, that bed is ridiculous. You could nearly hangar an air car in that thing."

He glanced at the bed and then looked back at her. "Yes. I know. What's the problem? Are you worried it will be too comfortable?"

She gaped at him and then shifted her weight. "I just... I don't know if I'll be able to sleep like this." She looked at him again, her cheeks heating. She shifted a little and pushed her hair behind her ear. "What if... We... Shared?"

Idris' face grew still and his lips parted to try to say something. His mouth moved to produce the words, but he'd seemed to have lost his voice.

Her eyes got wide for a moment and then dropped to the floor. "Oh. Um. Okay. Never mind then..."

She moved to walk away, but he stepped forward, his hand reaching out to try to grasp her arm. When his fingers touched her, she spun around to face him. He looked obviously uncomfortable, but managed to put the words together. "No, sorry, its not like that. I just... I don't want to take advantage of you... or how you might be feeling right now."

She closed her eyes for a long moment and opened them again, blinking at him very slowly. "What? Take advantage of me? Because of how I-" Her words cut off abruptly and her face heated as she blushed deeply at him. "Oh... Oh!" She shook her head and then waved her hands in front of her as her head continued to shake her head. "That is not what I was trying to open the door for." She pursed her lips at him as she looked around the room, trying to look at anything but him.

Idris felt his voice catch in his throat as he opened his mouth to speak. He cleared his throat and then sighed deeply. "Right. No, I just... I didn't..."

Lips still pursed in discomfort, she shook her head again, in case he needed additional clarification. "I obviously don't know much about the kind of... who you usually choose to surround yourself with, but I'm not that kind of girl."

Idris squirmed and turned away from her, looking like he would have preferred the floor gape open and swallow him if only to escape the conversation. He tried to talk, then cleared his throat to steady his voice. "Ri- Right, no, I mean, of course not." He held a fist up to his lips and swallowed hard, trying to wet his drying throat.

She tipped her head back and forth, still obviously uncomfortable with where their conversation had led them. "I just... This place is huge, and strange, and I feel like I have bugs under my skin, and I just thought... If we both just shared the bed, and kept a solid meter, or even two, between us, we could both feel safe and maybe not feel so exposed."

Idris' mouth became very small as he paled. "Oh. Right. I see. That makes sense. I am... I'm sorry you are feeling like... that..."

Brynn sighed, choosing to convey a little mercy. She moved closer to him and tipped his chin up with her index finger, making confident eye contact with him. "I am sorry I asked. If you wish to sleep on the floor, maybe because I smell funny and you don't want to hurt my feelings or something, then fine, I'll just make do without you."

He rolled his eyes, but huffed a laugh and she smiled back at him, content with her efforts to steer the conversation to something more light-hearted. He took a deep breath, exhaling sharply. "I am sure you would. But if it would make you feel better, I'll sleep in the warm bed... how did you put it? 'A meter or two' away from you."

She rolled her eyes and a blast of laughter escaped her nose as she scoffed at him less verbally. She moved to one side of the bed and started to peel back the covers. He went to the other side, helping her to peel back the layers of bedding. She nodded as they got to the bottom of the layers. "Perfect. See, there's plenty of room." Then she made a face, wrinkling her nose, and looking to either side of herself. "But first, I need a shower. Do you think there is somewhere here where I could get some clothes?"

"Yes. Though, once the ship is fixed, we can have Ophelia get your measurements so she can fashion clothing for you."

Brynn spun around to face him. "Wait, what? What do you mean? She can make me clothes?"

He gave her a sideways glance. "Yes, of course. Fabric extruders are a basic amenity for the kind of work the ship was being used for."

"But for now, we need to get something I haven't been wearing for the last two days?"

"I'm not smelling any fresher either."

"Then maybe before a shower, we should both get something clean to wear."

"It sounds like you have it all worked out."

Brynn furrowed her lips, giving him an exasperated look. "Right."

He stepped out of the room into the hall, looking both ways - partially to orient himself, but also to check to see who was around - before he led her out into the hall with him. "I think I remember where it is. If not, I think we can find an information panel to help us."

"Yeah, getting lost in this place is not on my to do list anywhere..."

The door slid open, allowing them into the room and out of the hall. Brynn sighed as she spread the clothes out on the table, carefully inspecting them. Idris was right behind her, still holding his folded clothing as he walked to the bed to lay them out. Then he heard Brynn cry out suddenly and spun around to find someone else in the room with them.

Brynn nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned to see a strange woman leaning against the wall, quietly watching them. "Hey! You nearly scared the life out of me. Why are you in our room? Who are you?!"

The visitor pushed away from the wall with one foot and simply smiled at Brynn. But it was more than that--a leer, condescending and assessing, as she took a few steps toward her without responding. Then Brynn heard a sudden thud as Idris hit the floor. She hadn't seen anything for him to trip over, yet there he was, flat on his back, his elbows propping him up as his feet scrambled to find purchase beneath him.

"No! What are you doing here?" he yelled, his voice raw with something beyond anger--fear. No, screaming was quieter than the sound he made.

Brynn looked between Idris and the woman, who had now closed the distance, cornering her against the wall.

Idris made it back to his feet and grabbed the girl by the shoulder, spinning her around to face him and pulling her away from Brynn. She instantly swatted his hand away and shoved him backward with the effortless ease of someone flicking a cup off a table. Idris didn't just hit the floor--he skidded several meters. The girl immediately turned back to Brynn, her face hovering too close to hers.

"So, this is the new little trollop tagging along with you now," she sneered. She wrinkled her nose in mock disgust. "Couldn't you have found one a little fresher? I know a nice place where--"

Brynn had started to shrink away from her, uncomfortable with how close she was leaning in, but then Idris was there again. This time, he yanked on the girl's hair so hard Brynn thought it might rip from her scalp. The girl cried out as the back of her head nearly touched her shoulders. Idris let go just long enough to try kicking her, but she dodged his strike and retaliated with a fist straight to his nose. Blood exploded across his face.

Brynn stood frozen in shock, gaping as Idris pressed his fingers against his nose for a moment before catching the next strike in his palm. In one swift motion, he twisted the girl's arm behind her back, spinning her around and pinning her against a side table, one hand gripping her wrist, the other pressed against the base of her spine.

She drove her elbow into his ribs, creating just enough space to pivot and deliver a forceful side kick. He doubled over, swatting blindly to block another blow. But then she dropped low and swept his legs from underneath him. Idris landed hard on his back, the impact forcing a groan from his lungs. Before he could recover, she straddled him, knees pressing into his ribs. One hand seized his nose, fingers cruelly pinching it, while the other yanked his ear toward the floor. He cried out as a sickening crunch sounded.

"It was nice of you to come back. I haven't had anyone to play with since you left. And everyone else around here is so serious."

Brynn's mind reeled, struggling to grasp the chaos unfolding before her. She finally snapped back to awareness and lunged forward, grabbing the girl's shoulder. She screamed in rage, willing fire to consume her hand and sear the stranger's skin, but nothing happened. Then she remembered. And in that moment of distraction, she was knocked off her feet. The force sent her sliding across the bare metallic floor, her body rattled as though she'd been hit by an air car.

The girl's tone remained eerily indifferent, as if Brynn's attempt to harm her hadn't even registered. "But then you go and bring this onboard, and I can't help but wonder if you ever even really liked women in the first place..." Her voice trailed off as she pondered the thought.

The door slid open again, and two tall women entered. Both had dark auburn hair. The first, her hair in a high ponytail, wore a white skintight suit and black gloves. She strode forward and grabbed the girl atop Idris, wrenching her off with ease. The second woman, her hair twisted into a tight bun, remained by the door, clad in a distinctive black, skintight suit. Brynn vaguely noted a few markings on her uniform--military, perhaps? Whatever they meant, she felt more lost than ever.

The girl--Tsella?--screamed as she was practically pried off Idris' lap. She struggled, but the woman in white was clearly stronger. She yanked Tsella away and shoved her toward the door. Brynn heard the dull thud as she hit the wall.

The contralto voice of the woman in white rang out, seething with fury. "Tsella! You were told not to come here. You were told to stay away! And not only did you disobey Arden--you had the gall to mirage yourself in my dead. Sister's. Image?!"

Her voice grew louder with each emphasized word.

Tsella, pinned against the wall, merely chuckled.

The woman scoffed and dragged her out into the hall. The other woman, the one in black, remained behind. She stepped toward Brynn, who instinctively backed away until the stranger raised a hand in reassurance.

"No. I'm not here to hurt you," she said calmly. "Tsella has always had the worst sense of humor of my sisters, which is why I keep her on my ship--so I can keep an eye on her. I apologize for the intrusion."

Brynn made no effort to mask her disgust. "'Intrusion'? That's the story we're going with?"

The woman's face became solemn and patient, almost long-suffering.

Brynn pointed at Idris, stepping closer to her. "She busted my captain's nose! How could you even let her in here?!"

"Brynn--"

She snapped her gaze back to Idris and rushed to his side, starting to help him up.

"It's fine. You don't need to--" he started.

"Fine?! No, it's not fine! She broke in here and--"

The other woman sighed and shook her head. "Look, I said I was sorry. If you want a handwritten apology, you'll have to wait until she kills him before you get that. In the meantime, I'll have a medic check on him and make sure his face heals properly."

Brynn whirled back to her, gaping, beyond shocked at how lightly she was taking everything. "'Wait until she kills him'?! What is that supposed to mean? You're not going to lock her up?!"

She shrugged, feigning distraction as she inspected her nails. "It's not as though she did any permanent damage. And Aria arrived in time to keep her from doing anything that would delay your departure. Why make a fuss?"

Brynn's eyes narrowed. "Fine. But if she comes in here again, I'll break her neck myself!"

Idris touched Brynn's shoulder. She turned, startled, then gasped at the sight of his bloodied face.

"By the stars, Idris! Your face!"

He winced but shook his head. "Let's just let Captain Johansen get back to her bridge. We'll talk after the medic sees me."

Captain Johansen smirked. "Now that you're mobile again, perhaps your... companion..."--she lingered suggestively on the word--"can escort you to the infirmary?"

"Of course," Idris muttered. "We'll head down once you leave."

Johansen gave an exaggerated shrug. "Whatever you like, Captain Chariton. Good day to you both."

She made a show of looking at Brynn and then Idris. "Good day to you both in the meantime." She tilted her head at them slightly and walked out of the room.

As the door closed, Idris allowed a soft groan to escape him as he stumbled slightly, clearly in more pain than he wanted to admit. Brynn rushed to his side and took his arm. "Idris! Let's... why don't we sit you down for a second."

He nodded as he slowly descended into a chair, wincing as he relaxed against it. "It's okay, it's probably a lot worse than it looks."

Brynn rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Just because another psycho lady tried to mop the floor with you doesn't mean you have to make light of how much of a mess you must feel like right now."

"Yeah, Tsella isn't beneath turning the fight with a few well-placed sucker punches."

Brynn shook her head. "I... I just can't believe... I mean, how did she get in here?!"

Idris shook his head and shrugged. "It wouldn't be very hard. She can change or throw her voice very effectively, as well as change her appearance. That's what Aria meant when she said 'take on a mirage.'"

Brynn's head tilted slightly in disbelief. "She can what now? Change her appearance? What do you mean? I get the impression we're not talking about clothes or make-up."

"No. Actually, it's not that complicated: Tsella can change her physical appearance to look like anyone she has seen before, so long as she can picture them in her mind. She doesn't even have to touch them first, like some mirages I've heard of." He rolled his eyes. "And objectively, I have to acknowledge that she is more than 'pretty good' at how seamlessly, and effectively, she can manifest the change, and then convincingly inhabit it."

Brynn shook her head and held up her hands. "Wait, so... so then that's not what she normally looks like? Is that why that... the other girl--"

"Yes. That is what Adria looked like, when... well, she wasn't dead, I mean." He rolled his eyes and tilted his head. "Well, like she looked before she died."

Brynn noticed that Idris was trembling and wondered if it was adrenaline or something else. "Right. I'm sorry."

He waved dismissively at her words. "It's not the first time. That's... I mean, because she has... because it is not the first time she has done that, I just..."

"You knew what to expect," she offered.

He shook his head. "No. I never thought I'd see her again. I hadn't even thought about it until... well until she was here." He shook his head again, sounding frustrated with himself. "Anyway, one of Tsella's favorite things to do is torture people. Not physically, like she doesn't hurt people on the outside. No, she likes to create a stir by getting in someone's head, saying and doing things that make them feel crazy. For example, she once got caught trying to seduce someone while using the mirage of their wife, so their wife would walk in on them, she'd change back into herself, and then watch the fireworks as the man desperately tried to convince his wife of what really happened. He was lucky, because he had a camera pointed at the door of their living quarters, so you could see his wife walk in twice without walking out once."

Brynn watched him as he explained, her expression growing more repulsed with each detail. "That's... that's just... wow, I've just never heard of someone... I mean, that's just evil, plain and simple."

Idris shrugged again. "She is Captain Johansen's youngest sister, and their parents died a long time ago. So the captain keeps her here, where she can stay on top of her. Though, sometimes, I think she lets her off the leash from time to time just to break up the monotony. Or when she is forced to host unwelcome guests." He turned to look directly at Brynn until she made eye contact.

She gaped and pointed at herself. "What? Me? What did I do?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, not you. She probably didn't even know you were here until they broke in just now."

"Oh. So, you mean you. Right, that makes more sense."

"Heh, I guess it does." He sighed, closing his eyes, leaning back in the chair, and then winced a little as some part of him reacted painfully to the movement. He spoke without opening his eyes. "Anyway, I really need that shower now, and I could use some sleep. You go first, and I'll get things ready for bed while you're in there."

Brynn frowned slightly, but then huffed a sigh and stood up. "Okay, fine. Thank you."

"No thanks necessary. I know I am going to take longer, and I would hate for there not to be enough water left for you to get cleaned."

She rolled her eyes. "Thank you for that. You're about as fresh as a block of cheese too, by the way."

He laughed at that, but then started coughing a little when the laughter hurt. "I know. I just don't want to go to the infirmary right now, so if you're in the shower, you also can't make me get out of this chair."

"Ugh, you're right. I need to take you down there. Are you sure you are alright to wait?"

He nodded, opening his eyes again to look at her. She was gathering up a change of clothes from the bed before walking to the door. She smiled at him and then walked through the doorway, looking over her shoulder one more time before the door closed behind her.

Brynn winced as the lights flared to life, bathing the room in an uncomfortably harsh glow. She tried to shield her eyes with her forearm as she looked around, eventually finding the controls, and turned down the lighting to a less unbearable intensity. She started the shower and began to strip down, hoping the water would be ready for her. She felt a little self-conscious at how dirty some of her clothes had become, and also with how badly she smelled with them off.

She stepped into the shower and let out a deep sigh. In all her memory, she had never experienced such luxury. An intrusive thought about whether Idris was aware penetrated her mind. Had he let her go first because he knew it had been so long since she had last been able to get a decent bath?

She shook her head, wetting her hair, combing her fingers through the strands as she leaned forward and let the water run down her face. She was beginning to remember how little she enjoyed showering like this as it seemed like when she was all alone in the hot water, her mind wandered into places she managed to avoid during every other waking hour of the day.

Idris had moved from the chair to lie on the bed, his feet on the ground, his legs off the side, and his back on top of the covers. He felt so tired and began to doubt whether he'd be able to get off the bed once Brynn came back out. What was he going to do with her? It wasn't like he was going anywhere that was suitable for her. Once he found out where Avenger was headed, it might give him a better idea.

He groaned and rubbed his face a little as thoughts about his future intruded on his mind. What did he think was going to happen next, after this? It wasn't like he'd be able to take on Moranna by himself. Then the door to the bathroom opened and Brynn stepped out. She wore short, light blue shorts and a dark green shirt. Her hair was still damp, flowing all the way down pass the shoulders of her shirt, and she was bare foot.

Brynn flushed under Idris' gaze and instinctively crossed her arms, quickly glancing down to ensure she was properly covered. She looked back at him, a little panicked. "What? What is it?" She reached up to feel her hair to see if was especially messy but felt nothing.

Idris blinked rapidly, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts. "No, no nothing like that. You just, you look really nice. The clothes look nice on you."

Brynn looked down over herself and then looked up at him. She smiled, but not very confidently. "Oh. Thank you. Sorry, I tried to be brief. I don't usually spend that long under the water."

Idris made a face at her and shook his head. "Oh. You were barely gone, as far as I could tell. Maybe I dozed off or something."

She tilted her head and then nodded. "Maybe. I know I am ready to drop dead, I'm so exhausted."

"I wish I didn't feel so gross. Otherwise, I'd be under the covers asleep already. Anyway, don't feel like you have to stay awake on my behalf."

She turned to him, her eyes bulging wide. "Are you serious? No way. I'm liable to get under the covers and just lie there staring at the ceiling the whole time."

He shrugged and stood up, grabbing his clothes and leaving her on the bed alone. "Suit yourself. I'll try and be quick them."

"Take as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere."

The door slid shut without a word from Idris. Brynn tried to wring out a few more drops from her hair, and then sat on the edge of the bed. Brynn ran her fingers through her damp hair as she worked the strands into a loose braid, her movements slow and thoughtful. It had been so long since she had been able to do this--long enough that she almost felt out of practice.

She had never seen the point before. Braid her hair? Why bother when it was always coated in dust, grime, or worse? When there was no real water to wash it, only rough cloths or whatever stagnant, chemical-laced rinse she could scavenge? Back then, it had felt like trapping the filth in place, forcing it deeper into the strands rather than keeping it neat. So she had let it hang wild, tangling in the wind, stiff with weeks of sweat and dirt, a reminder of how little control she had over her own life.

But here, under the warm, clean water, something had changed. As her fingers moved through her hair now, there was no grit clumping between them, no streaks of dust left on her hands. It was soft again, free of the weight of survival.

She swallowed, not sure how she felt about that. It wasn't just her hair. It was her whole body, stripped of the layer of filth she had come to accept as part of herself. Without it, she almost felt... exposed. Vulnerable.

Brynn shook off the thought and tightened the braid, securing it before she let out a long breath. She had been given a rare moment of comfort, and she wasn't going to waste it. She pulled her legs up onto the bed and leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling, listening to the distant hum of the ship.

How long would this last? Would she wake up tomorrow and find herself back in the filth again, hair tangled and matted, dirt under her nails, just another survivor scraping by? Or was this real? She closed her eyes, willing herself to believe--for just a little while--that it was.

Another thought intruded as she stared at the ceiling, her fingers absently running along the braid she had finally been able to weave.

She couldn't remember the last time someone had given her a sincere, innocent compliment. Not one that wasn't laced with an ulterior motive, condescension, or some predatory anticipation behind it.

Had Idris said it out of politeness? Some ingrained sense of chivalry, the kind that made men feel obligated to throw out kind words because they thought women needed them? Or had it just slipped out--one of those instinctive, unfiltered things she'd seen men blurt when they let their eyes linger too long?

She had seen it before, back when she was nothing more than another face in a crowd, another server passing drinks or another wanderer ignored until someone found a reason to take notice. Those moments when a man caught himself staring, his mouth opening before his brain could tell it no. Words spilling out not because they meant them, but because they had to say something--anything--to keep themselves from swallowing it down.

Was that what had happened? She frowned at the thought. Did it matter?

The answer should have been no. And yet, the way he had looked at her--not leering, not appraising, but simply... seeing--unsettled something inside her. She exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over her face.

It was nothing. Just a passing moment, a fleeting thing that didn't deserve the weight she was giving it. She had more important things to think about than whether Idris actually meant what he'd said.

And yet, as she lay there, eyes locked on the ceiling, the thought clung to her, refusing to let go.

She groaned, burying her face in the pillow, muffling the sound and the heat creeping up her cheeks. She let out a breath and tossed the pillow back above her head, frustration settling deep in her chest. She should have been thinking about what would happen once Idris returned. She still couldn't quite explain why she had asked him to stay close, why she had wanted him there at all. The room felt too open, too exposed. It was irrational, she knew, but the thought of sleeping in such a vast, empty space made her skin crawl. She had spent too many nights crammed into tight, hidden corners--supply closets, air ducts, the cramped crawl spaces of forgotten ships--small places where she felt safe, where she could press her back against a wall and know nothing could creep up behind her. Here, in the open, she felt untethered, as though the walls would stretch farther away if she wasn't careful, swallowing her whole. It wasn't romantic, or even lust, that had prompted her to ask. And in hindsight, she couldn't even explain to herself why she had decided to make the demand of him in the first place. Maybe it was because he filled the space. He made the emptiness feel smaller, less daunting.

For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that if he disappeared, everything would unravel. The darkness she kept at the edges of her mind would seep into reality, unraveling the fragile sense of stability she had found since leaving with Idris. Well, not all of it was good, was it?

She hadn't even had time to process the fact that her curse was gone. She had always treated it like a curse, at least. It had never helped her make friends or stay in one place. Everywhere she went, the moment they discovered she could summon fire, it always ended the same--exile, rejection, another door closed.

The door slid open, and Idris stepped back in, rubbing a towel over his damp hair, his expression unreadable. He seemed preoccupied, thinking about something. Brynn found herself momentarily distracted by the fact that he only wore shorts. He was bare foot and bare chested. It wasn't his physique that drew her attention, though. Scars--more than a few--marked his skin. Some fresh, others faded, a silent testament to battles fought and survived. A chill settled over her. Had his life always been like this? And if she stayed, would hers be too? Was this what life with him meant? A path carved by violence, by wounds that never quite healed?

Lost in thought, she barely noticed Idris watching her--until their eyes met. Heat crept up her cheeks, and she forced a small, uneasy smile. He smiled back, casually draped the towel over a hook, and pulled a shirt over his head.

He sat beside her on the bed, tilting his head slightly in silent inquiry. "Something on your mind?"

She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "What? No... not really. Nothing specific. Why?"

"You looked like you were a thousand light years away just now."

"Just tired."

"Yeah, me too." He hesitated, running a hand through his damp hair before giving her a curious look. "But you keep staring at me like I just sprouted another head. What's on your mind?"

"You just have more scars than I expected."

"You should see the other guy."

"So... do you make a habit of wrestling women, or was this time a special exception?"

He laughed a little, but it was uncomfortable and forced. "Not usually, no. Though, of late, it seems to be happening to me more often."

How many times have you run into her? The... that woman, the one who... well, whatever she did to me that I, apparently, can't make fire anymore?"

He tilted his head. "Right. About that. We never really got around to talking about what happened, did we?"

She smiled slightly, reaching to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear--only for her fingers to catch on the braid, momentarily forgetting it was even there. "I guess I forgot to mention that before you saved me."

He smiled a little. "I guess you did. That would explain why those men were so worked up. What'd you do--burn their house down?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. They just... tried something I didn't agree to. No one stepped in, so I handled it myself."

"No trail of burned bodies in your wake? No mountains of ash to mark your path?"

She laughed a little. "No, nothing like that. I've never done more than simply hurt someone. I did take all the hair off someone's head once. That was awful. The smell seemed to stick around forever."

His expression changed and he looked concerned. "So... dealing with people like that is just normal for you?"

She squirmed a little. "I wouldn't go that far. I've had good moments. They just... don't happen all that often."

"But you're used to not being able to stay in one place for very long?"

She shook her head a little, but then she shoved him playfully. "What about you? Did you always want to be out among the stars?"

"Did I always want this? No. There was a long time where I didn't give what's out there a second thought. It didn't take a lot of effort to change that though. But the grind on a planet isn't all that different from the one in space. Thankfully, I've been fortunate enough to know what was coming next. Well, until now."

He looked away for a moment, sighing, and then looked back to her. "I'm not really sure what's going on next. In exchange for fixing Atalanta, I'll likely need to go where ever Tiber sends me next."

"What did you do for him before?"

"Well, basically I was just an errand boy. He needed something somewhere, I'd fetch it and bring it back to him. Most of the time, it was gathering intel--keeping an eye on incursion risks near alliance space."

He paused to consider it, but a yawn crept up on him. He barely managed to cover his mouth as it dragged on, leaving his eyes watery by the time it passed. The expansion of his lungs sent small zings of pain through his ribs, reminding him of his injuries.

Brynn giggled a little as she saw him yawning. "I don't think I've ever seen someone lose a fight to a yawn before."

He stretched his arms above his head and yawned again, his head faced up towards the ceiling as he tried to shake off the last few seconds of yawning. "I don't usually go this long without sleep. At this point, I'm running on something worse than fumes."

"I can see that. Well, we can talk more later. It's not like we're going anywhere, right?" She smiled at him, hesitated for a moment, then leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against his cheek, careful to avoid any bruises. Then, without another word, she slipped under the covers, turning away as if nothing had happened. But the warmth on her cheek lingered, no matter how hard she willed herself to ignore it.

Idris blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the kiss. He let out a breath, forcing himself to keep it light as he spoke to her back before rolling over himself. "Yeah, we'll talk more later. Get some rest."

He exhaled softly, shaking his head as he shut his eyes, willing his thoughts to quiet. If only his mind obeyed as easily as his body.

She lay there, thoughts circling, until she forced herself to focus on the song--the one she always played in her mind to calm herself. Slowly, sleep crept in, and she let it take her.