Stargazer Lily
Jasus wanted to make things nice around here for once, especially for the little healer and her room full of plants. It had been difficult trying to sneak his own set of decorations aboard the ship, away from prying eyes and without his boss taking note of his purchases. He hadnât fared so well in that department - the shattering of one of those sparkling globes had given him away - but Reyna had promised to keep her lips shut. It wasnât any of her business anyway, sheâd said. He watched a million holovids on how to decorate for the holiday season, and it seemed that there was no real set way about it. Whatever looked right to the decorator seemed to be the trend. He unwound the bundles of blue-and-silver-entwined tinsel and applied a liberal amount of clear tape to stick it to the ceiling in parts, allowing the rest to drape just so. The arches were uneven but he still liked how it looked, sparkling against the lights heâd already taped to the shelves that dotted the room. Next were those infernal glass baubles. He thought better of hanging them up from so high, afraid that they would commit suicide and cover the ground in coloured glass. Instead, he decided to place one in each pot, providing Maxâs plants with a little glittery company. Not their intended use, but he was proud heâd come up with the idea all by himself. He stood back to appreciate his work. The room couldnât be any more shiny, even if he tried! Now it was just a matter of getting her in here to see all of his hard work. The ship vibrated and an alarm came on in the distance. Were they under attack? As he burst into the hallway, Reyna sprinted past him and towards the elevator. âWhatâs up, mum?â he called out to her, always ready to lend aid where it was needed of him. âSomethingâs blown up near the engines. Best guess, itâs in one of the boiler rooms.â Boiler rooms? Thatâs where he⌠He followed suit, hunched over and going as fast as he could on all fours, and managed to smoosh himself into the freight elevator next to her before the doors slammed shut. He muttered to himself, concerned that his things might have been the cause of all this. He didnât know how he was going to make it up to Reyna or the rest of the crew if heâs broken the ship. Smoke billowed out from behind the closed door at the end of the hall once the elevator stopped, and the pair continued their hurried pace down the hallway and through it. It smelled of burning, but not the dry tang that followed the charring of fabric and stuffing. No, it was wet and green and moldy. Reyna snagged an extinguisher from off the wall and hunkered down below the thick clouds of smoke to find the source. Jasus remained where he was, knowing that his large form wasnât going to help matters and he couldnât get low enough to spare himself from a coughing fit anyway. He heard the rush of the extinguisher being fired - as well as a few choice swear words - before the smoke started to diminish. As did the coughing, though there was another he hadnât heard earlier with the alarms still roaring overhead. Once he poked his head into the room, he discovered the source. âWhat the hell did you think you were doing?â Reyna barked as she kicked a blackened pot across the room. Max reached out after the tumbling clay vessel, her eyes reddened with tears, most likely from the smoke. A black crispy thing rolled out of the pot and left a long trail of soot and soil behind. âTrying⌠to spruce the⌠place upâŚâ she managed between the coughs. âIt was a gift⌠and I thoughtâŚâ âBoiler roomâs no place for plants,â Reyna replied roughly and gathered up the burnt remains in her arms. He passed Jasus without a word, whispering to herself as she headed back to the elevator. Seeing Max standing there by herself, rubbing the sting away from her eyes, reminded Jasus so much of his younger life, when heâd tried to fit in so many times and failed. A rumbling huff escaped him as he stepped into the room. Most of his things were burned or half-burned, but none of them were costly to replace. Max hadnât expected him and recoiled, looking for some escape where she wouldnât have to explain what sheâd been trying to do. His large form blocking the doorway hindered that from happening. âHm. Why is there a hole in my ceiling? It wasnât there when I left.â He poked at a sizable puncture in the metal ceiling with his claw. âThat must have been an impressive explosion.â He half-grinned down at her, hoping his joke would lighten her mood. âI hear you were tryinâ to make my place look nice. You didnât have to go and do that.â He extended a spotted arm towards her to show that he wasnât angry. It was just a boiler room, just bedsheets and pillows. None of them were as important as his friendship with her. Her tears were refreshed as she collapsed against his arm. Jasus allowed her to have her cry before he cradled her against his chest, his form shaking against him. âI just wanted to get you a nice plant and everything, to make your room look nice. I left it too close to the pipes and⌠they got too hot⌠andâŚâ âShhh. Would it make you feel any better if I said I had th'same idea?â âTo set my room on fire?â Her wide, tear-filled eyes staring up at him almost smothered the chuckles in his chest. âWhat? No, I meant⌠how about we go take a look instead of me explaininâ. Itâll make you feel better.â She nodded silently against him. âHeh, just donât criticize it too deeply. Sâmy first time doinâ something like this.â
Merry Christmas, neyzilla! It was a pleasure and an honour to work on your gift, especially when I saw your request. It was difficult to write, knowing that Nema will never get to see it so I hope I managed to make the both of you proud with this little ficlet of your characters.
