"Zhu Li!"
A voice, familiar even in the darkest hour, echoed through her chamber. Zhu Li's eyes opened on instinct. Working under the most innovative mind of the world had trained her around necessary hours of sleep. After eight years of full time commitment, she was hardly surprised. The intercom would switch on and off in random intervals those rare moments they were apart. "Yes, sir?" when she spoke her voice was slightly gruffed by deep night.
"I've been thinking." He always was, even at night. "Now that the elections are in order, why cut short on one man? Don't get me wrong, Raiko is a shoe in for the majority, and he's got shmooze out the wazoo! -But, there's nothing wrong with broadening our horizons. Some insurance as it were! I need you to make an appointment for sometime this week with-"
Zhu Li sat up in her bed, then swung her legs over the mattress. This was a typical situation, Varrick, being Varrick, got in his own way, particularly at night. When a crisis was highest he couldn't force himself to sleep, his mind was swimming, jumping from one topic to the next; inventions, politics, economics, creativity. Zhu Li knew because she was first in the speed dial line, trusty assistant only one button away.
"-The movers won't be ready by that time, but wowy! It'd be amazing to see it documented on the projector. The public would go wild for it, and think of the polls! Ah well… Maybe in the next political movement-"
He could ramble on for hours, sometimes it was better that way. If he ran out of steam naturally he was calmer in the mornings, but fortune wouldn't have that. Their schedule was crammed from sunrise to sundown, and if Varrick didn't get at least a bit of sleep, his game would be lower than usual.
- A pick-me-up. A.. wake me up? A medicine… A wake up pill! Zhu Li! Take a note!-
It hadn't struck her as a good idea. He was bad enough without the assistance of synthetic substances.
She moved silently through her room, slipping a silky blue robe over her nightgown as Varrick rambled on in the background. Quite obviously, he was a man of great magnitude and speed, but he wasn't unstoppable. Zhu Li had slowly learned how to handle him, even as she listened to the horror stories about her many predecessors.
The much needed hinderance of Varrick's brain had turned out to be surprisingly easy to achieve: a hot cup of tea, followed by a short trip to the bathroom, followed by a mug of warmed milk with just a tad of honey mixed in. Her mother had prepared a similar mixture for her when she'd been a little girl. Nothing worked better after childish nightmares. Or for the mind of an ever active business entrepreneur.
To say that their first twenty-four hour sitting had been an absolute terror, would be a most honest truth. Not fully used to the exertion of fulfilling Varrick's every order, it had certainly been tricky… She'd never felt so exhausted in her entire life. However, the following night they'd struck gold. She'd fed him her sandman recipe, then woke up crooked the next morning in an overstuffed chair, to the sound of her employer's soft snoring.
"-Celebratory whistles for either party, incase Raiko doesn't pull through," he continued undeterred. "They'll be a neutral color, so no red, no blue, no green, no yellow. How about purple? I like purple! Hope you're writing all this down, Zhu Li, because this is a gold mine waiting to be excavated-"
Zhu Li walked towards the kitchenette bound into her quarters, it was an improvement added shortly after her arrival at Varrick Industries. She quickly filled a pot of water then set it to boil, scribbling down his endless flurry of ideas in the meantime. All that followed was a trick of muscle memory, scooping tea leaves, arranging a tray, then finally carrying it out the door, and through the one across the hall. His close proximity allowed for a minimalistic interruption in his rant as she swiftly braided through the hallway.
She'd know everything she needed to know for the next day.
With an ease developed from practice, Zhu Li managed to work around the tray and open the door smoothly. She entered Varrick's quarters without hesitation; had she been working for anyone else, such a forward move would spark up talk amongst others in the industry. However, anyone worth anything was already used to Varrick's antics. Personal boundaries were a thing of legend on the ship. Zhu Li, more than anyone, was aware of this.
Varrick's room was the largest and most lavish; all the better for his energetic pacing if need be. This time, as she scanned the vicinity, it seemed he'd actually settled into one spot for once. He was sitting at the desk, pressed to one of the walls, hunched over what appeared to be blueprints for his latest works in engineering. Multitasking, then, as he was still yammering on about the elections.
-I've always known where a profit's to be found! Or what can be profited from! If you're not milking something for it's whole value, you're not doing it right.-
She walked up behind him and dutifully placed the freshly poured cup of tea to his far left, just in case. Sometimes his impulsive movements led to various items of kitchenware flying across rooms.
"-This is true progress, Zhu Li, unlike the Earth Kingdom. Speaking of which, how's the old hag doing? Monarchy's so sensitive these days. One little electromagnetic pulse, and suddenly you're an enemy of the state. You should send her an invitation to the victory party. It's always a good idea to mend old bridges when progress is in order."
And then, at last, there was a pause. Varrick's head whipped around at the sound of the soft clump of the cup. He reached for it, arm moving in a blur while picking it up and knocking it back like an incredibly old shot of lychee wine. He slammed it back down with a similarly exuberant burst of energy, still riding the high of his latest idea.
There, in the abrupt silence, it was time to wait. Zhu Li hovered off to the side. She watched him intently, looking out for the right moment to swoop in, and drag him towards the next stage of the routine.
Varrick sat in his chair, his posture a straight line leading to the right angle of his lap. His shoulders lifted up and down in heavy breath, as if he hadn't paused once for the entire span of the monologue. He was in his sleep clothes, Zhu Li noted, though she wasn't surprised. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for people at this hour, and she tried not to look at the admittedly broad curve of his shoulders as they stuck out from under a loose tank top, or how tight his long johns were around certain aspects of his... physique. Her stomach sank at the thought, and her cheeks colored. She quickly tore her eyes away and focused on the man's face once again.
"That," he said in a quiet pant, "is good tea."
It was the metaphorical timer bell she'd been waiting for. Zhu Li moved towards him, wrapped her hands around one of his arms, and tugged him out of his seat. He moved compliantly. The hot liquid really did work magic on him. Over the years, she'd noticed exactly to what extent, particularly what each individual combination of flavors did for him. Obviously, in order to complete her intended purpose, Zhu Li had supplied him with one of her more soothing blends.
Once he'd been maneuvered to a standing position, Zhu Li twisted back around and began to physically push him in the direction of the bathroom. Her hands pressed on his back, symmetrical against his protruding shoulder blades.
"I'll be waiting out here, sir," Zhu Li promised as she hauled him the last final steps, then left him alone to do his business. Even Varrick could understand the need for that privacy, and so she waited further away from the door.
The residing silence in the room was a stark contrast to the circumstances of the previous twenty minutes. A funny feeling always crawled over her skin when things were this quiet in Varrick's room. It felt wrong. Anti-Varrick.
Alas, she wasn't given much time to contemplate these particular technicalities, as the man in question returned. He was still bursting into rooms, even while riding a lower wave of energy.
"You know, Zhu Li," he was speaking slower, at a lower volume. It was a good sign. She began to drag him towards the third wall of his room where an enormous bed awaited him, with enormous pillows stacked atop enormous blankets. "It's pretty amazing how powerful we are. As nonbenders."
The passing period of time was unique for their interactions with each other, being one of the only moments that Varrick ever bothered to wait for her reply. "It is, sir."
"I mean, I'm a genius," he proclaimed shamelessly, "And you're-"
She waited.
"You're you."
Magnificently underwhelming.
Zhu Li pushed him down to sit at the curb of his bed before retreating towards the abandoned tray. The sleek silver thermus that remained was their key component. She strode in a businesslike demeanor back and forth over the expanse of his room. A few more minutes and she'd be able to return to her room again. To sleep in her regular sized bed. Alone. She almost relished the thought, but those kind of thoughts were dangerous.
Directing herself back to the task at hand, Zhu Li unscrewed the lid of the thermos. The sweet scent of honey and milk filtered out, wafting around the both of them. Varrick's fingers brushed against hers as she passed it over to him. A small smile settled over his face in the dim lighting. The one lamp he'd been using stood solemnly by his desk at the opposite end of the room. Somehow the combination softened him, and Zhu Li held in a breath as he took his first sip of milk. She was afraid that it might shake on exhale.
"It's good," he said, swallowing down some more of the concoction, "Honey is a seriously underrated component of- of- of-"
"The culinary art, sir."
"That's right," he snapped his fingers, "Thanks, Zhu Li."
Her lips parted, as she soaked in the little rarity. The small hint of appreciation for all that she did for him, for all that he put her through. For staying where many before her had left. He continued to drink his milk, absolutely oblivious to the commotion he'd stirred within her. He didn't care enough to notice.
Zhu Li frowned, "You have a busy day tomorrow. You need to sleep."
His eyebrows jumped in agreement because his mouth was full with the last drops of the drink. Then, done at last, he tossed the container aside, careless of where it landed, and about who'd be cleaning up later.
"You're right," he sighed contentedly, then threw himself back on the bed to settle down for the few hours they had left before their duties swept them away. The silence that followed stretched only a few seconds longer, "Good night, Zhu Li."
"Good night, sir."
Varrick closed his eyes, allowing a calm to spread over his face, and body. His body was visibly deflating as he lay stretched over the cover of his bed. He'd be cold in the morning, of that Zhu Li was certain. She contemplated covering him with the nearby throw cover, but some distant pettiness grounded her, rooting her to one spot.
...It was in her duty to stay a while longer. Just in case he bounced back. It had happened before, and she rather wanted to avoid getting woken up for a second time that night. She took a seat in the nearby chair. It was her trusty companion, comfortable enough for this lingering business. Hard enough to keep her mind from wandering.
Life was easier when she could maintain that distinction.