This is it.
Addy took a deep breath with closed eyes. Makuba's quiet rumbling purr from behind was a soothing comfort to her frayed nerves.
She exhaled slowly through her nose. Their little scout ship was docked to the mothership, the door was hissing open. She tugged her backpack strap higher on her shoulder.
I am ready.
She opened her eyes.
Makuba nudged her forward.
Addy stepped over the threshold into a warm, humid environment, directly before the largest yautja she had ever seen.
Sharp eyes closely examined her every move.
This yautja stood at least a foot taller than Makuba, but was composed of leaner musculature. Its dreads fell to its lower back, heavily decorated with bone, metal and other material beads. A crown of what looked to be teeth and claws adorned its crest. While that particular piece of jewelry was intimidating, it was also meticulously clean and beautiful, shining white in the light of the hallway.
A hide as black as obsidian was draped around its waist, held up by a belt heavily bejewelled with trinkets and gems. It resembled some kind of kilt, or kama. The same kind of hide was also wrapped around its chest, tied behind the neck.
"I introduce you to Dachande, the matriarch of this clan," Makuba announced before exchanging words in his native tongue with the female yautja.
Dachande tapped her lengthy tusks together in seeming contemplation.
"She is also my mother," Makuba added humorously at Addy's slack jawed expression.
Well, I see where he got his colouring, she thought sardonically.
Giving herself a mental check to stand tall, she stepped up to address Dachande with straight posture.
"I see where Makuba received his good looks from, ma'am. You are quite stunning."
In truth, Dachande was absolutely, stunningly gorgeous. She stood with perfectly straight shoulders and her head held high in the air with confidence. Her colours were strikingly attractive and the hides she wore perfectly suited her figure, accenting both her curves and musculature. Her pale, grey iris' were of note as well, particularly since Addy had never seen them before.
The tall yautja chuffed a single breath of a laugh, "Flattery will send you far among our culture. My son has spoken true of your intelligence."
Addy's cheeks flushed pink and she repressed the small smile she felt growing.
Dachande said something more to Makuba in their tongue before turning on her heel and striding off down the hall, displaying a gnarled scar that ran from her left shoulder to her right hip. Addy's brow rose in curiosity.
She belatedly realized Makuba was purring lightly.
Turning to him with a raised eyebrow she asked, "What?"
His mandibles flexed outward, "She approves of you."
"So soon? I barely spoke with her," Addy balked.
"She sees more of you in your first moments of seeing her than she would learn in longer conversation."
"So, she's impressed I didn't shit my pants at the sight of her."
"Sei'i."
Addy snorted a nervous laugh, "Well, off to a good start, I suppose."
Makuba nodded once as he grazed his knuckles across her cheek.
"Come, I will show you to our quarters," he turned to gather the rest of her things before leading her deeper into the clan ship.
"Please tell me there's a window," she walked after him, admiring the sight of his bulky back muscles.
It turned out that their shared quarters did, in fact, have a window. A huge, long window that was twice as long as Addy was tall. She was immediately star struck by the stunning view of Earth, how blue the oceans actually were. And the clouds! The swirling clouds danced in circles, white as fresh snow. Her feet unconsciously took her to stand directly in front of the window.
Addy knew what Earth looked like from space, everyone did. There were all kinds of photos across the internet, but nothing compared to the true view of it.
Makuba came to a stand next to her, enamoured with the wide-eyed look of awe on Addy's face. Her eyes glittered with wonder and her face was flush with exhilaration.
He silently vowed to put that expression on her face as often as he could.
The gentle brushing of her knuckles against his thigh was a wonderful addition to the moment. He quirked his mandibles with a smile.
A quiet thunk signalled that the ship's engines were engaged. Tensynn was taking them away.
Addy watched with both trepidation and excitement as Earth quickly shrank before her. She was in space on a spaceship.
Life would never be the same.
When a jaw breaking yawn finally split her face, Makuba knew it was enough. He nudged her gently towards the bed.
Addy frowned at the pile of hides and blankets that sat in a crater in the floor. Her exhausted mind wrapped loosely around the idea that this must be his bed. It didn't look very comfortable.
She pointed at it with an accusing finger, "If that's what I think it is, it doesn't look like there's much for cushion."
"It will be fine. It is time for rest," he gave her a firm push in the shoulder.
She stumbled forward, sceptical of the bed. As she laid down on her side, she wrestled with a thin but surprisingly heavy blanket until it covered her up to her ears. Then she rolled up a soft, fluffy hide beside her and settled her head on it like a pillow.
Makuba stayed crouched next to the bed until her breathing evened into slumber, purring gently all the while.
Addy woke up in a blind sweat. Her eyes snapped open, but she couldn't make out anything in the darkness. She threw the pelt off of her and took several moments to relish in the feeling of air on her skin. She had gone to sleep in her clothes, and that seemed to have been a mistake.
She knew she never slept well in more than a shirt and underwear, but the whole week leading up to her departure had been exhausting. It had slipped her mind to undress.
Addy rolled onto her side and crawled out of the bed, going to sit in front of the window. As unnerving as it was to watch the whole universe pass her by, it was oddly calming.
She sat there for a long while, watching the stars.
It wasn't until Makuba entered through the main door that Addy realized he had been absent. Her head twitched in his direction, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from the view.
She listened to him shuffle around the room, disappear through an adjacent door, and return after a few minutes. He moved over to her spot, and with a grunt settled cross legged next to her.
They shared several minutes of quiet.
Makuba clicked his tusks together to garner her attention after a little while. Addy turned her head towards him, but still did not look at him.
"Why did you wake?" He asked.
She shrugged, "Never sleep well the first night in a new place."
He chittered pensively. "Everyone is eager to meet you tomorrow."
Addy hummed quietly, "Not gonna lie, I'm a little anxious."
"Why?"
She finally looked at him, and he could see the turmoil in her eyes. "They're your family. I want to make a good impression."
He began to purr softly, so quietly she felt it more than heard it. She really enjoyed those moments, when they shared eye contact and he purred like that for her. She felt the most connected to him then.
Makuba slowly lowered his head towards her, pausing once to see if she would retreat from him.
She didn't. Addy held herself still, pushing through the anxiety she felt at his proximity. Her parents had never shared affection towards one another, and she found that as an adult it was difficult to exhibit intimacy with another person, romantically or otherwise. Addy realized that she wanted to try harder to push through her insecurities—because of Makuba.
Addy didn't realize she had been holding her breath until he made contact with her, gently pressing his great forehead to hers. His purr deepened, and she felt herself let out the breath she'd been holding. Her eyes slipped closed, too, and she let the tension roll out of her shoulders.
"It will go well, but you must rest first," he said quietly.
She sighed. "Well, I'm gonna need my pajamas."
"Your things are in the corner, dey'a."
Addy turned her head slightly to glance around, while not breaking contact with Makuba. She spotted her luggage off to the side of the hole-in-the-floor-turned-bed, stacked neatly.
"Thank you, Makuba."
He tapped his tusks together, "You are welcome."
It took Addy a few moments longer before she broke contact with Makuba, standing to go sort through her luggage. He mourned the loss of her touch, but felt immense happiness that she had not shied away from him, like she had for so long. He watched her dig out a different top and change with her back turned to him.
She had explained to him that society had shunned her for her size, but he rather liked her softness and broad hips. He recognized the gravity of any contact she initiated between them, and how far she had come in her insecurity to strip her top covering with him in the room.
Even though she still turned her back to him.
Addy turned to him after changing her shirt and ditching her pants. "Are you ready to sleep, too?"
He nodded and stood, sidling over to the bed. Addy crawled back into the spot she had been in previously, curling up under the same brown pelt.
As soon as she settled, he made himself comfortable a little bit away from her. As much as he wanted to hold her close, to mark her with his scent, it was only her first night aboard. That would come with time, and more training.