Upon arriving back at the ship, Lex and Scar were met by friends. Elder K'ash gave Lex the news about her new room.
The ship's living quarters level divided into two halves: males on one side and females on the other. It helped keep fights to a low since females tended to get aggressive towards males, especially those of lower ranking. In the middle were family quarters and daycare for the families that traveled on the mothership with pups. It allowed mothers and fathers to work and not leave their young.
"We took the liberty of moving your belongings. Please, go settle in and meet your neighbors." Elder K'ash nodded to Lex before he took his leave. The rest bowed their heads at his departure before excited chattering filled the space.
"I'm going to go head over. I'll catch you guys at mealtime." Lex left the boys and took her trophies that Scar had handed her before seeking out her new room.
This side of the ship was unknown to her but Lex continued to onward. Her gauntlet would beep to let her know she had reached her destination. However, her gauntlet had yet to beep so Lex tightened her grip on her bag as wandered.
Turning the corner, Lex's shoulder rammed into a large female's arm. Snapping her head down and to the side, the female snarled loudly at Lex. Lex quickly apologized and kept going.
After a short while, more females seemed to loiter around the hallways chatting with each other.
Lex took another turn and headed down a smaller hallway where her room would be at the far end at the left. Finally arriving, she slipped inside and locked the door behind her. True to their word, her stuff layer neatly on a bed. Her furs already were spread out on the bed including a few extras they added on.
Settling in was easy, as long as she didn't go outside where chatter was constant and her presence most likely not welcomed. Since she hung mostly with males, the males on the ship grew used to her presence. She had little interaction with any females beyond the occasional elder.
Her peaceful safe haven didn't last long. The control panel lit up and beeped to let Lex know someone had "knocked". It worked more like a quiet doorbell.
Getting up from her workbench, Lex opened the door to see one of the females. She buzzed in excitement and trilled as if thrilled Lex opened the door.
"Uh... hello."
Clearing her throat, she spoke in broken English, most of which Lex didn't really understand well. She did catch the female's name. Ka'Lu.
Taken back by the friendliness, Lex was slow to respond. "Oh... hi. Was there something you needed? Or-"
Ka'lu smiled widely, using hand gestures to explain herself. She had just wanted to welcome her, having heard a bit before of what Lex managed to accomplish. Then, she ran back down the hallway where a few others stood waiting.
After the strange encounter, Lex kept inside and worked at her bench. She polished her skulls, cleaned her furs, and moved things around. The only problem she came across was not being strong enough to move the bed or the bench.
Giving up, Lex checked the time. Almost time for the last meal of the day. Dinner.
The hallways weren't too hard to navigate and Lex arrived at the dining hall with little to no trouble at all. Picking out her usual meal, she sat at an empty table. A few others sat around chatting but they ignored her as she ignored them.
Satisfied and filled, Lex left back to her room. When she neared the doors though, Jag and Molten burst through in a fit of anger. Lex jumped out of the way, lucky enough not to be run over.
Night came strolling in, almost bored at their bickering. When he noticed Lex shuffling carefully away, he trilled.
"Scared?"
"I was nearly run over." Night trilled again and clicked his mandibles together.
"Have you ate?"
"Just finished."
"Ah, that's good."
"Nice 's's, by the way." Lex grinned in approval.
Jag still had difficulties but Night seemed more devoted to learning than the other.
"Thanks to you and Scar I've improved greatly."
"That's good to hear." Lex walked with the three to sit at their table.
"How iz your room?" Molten's attention snapped from Jag to her.
"Oh, it's nice. Thank you guys for moving my stuff."
"It waz no trouble." Molten patted her shoulder and continued to eat.
"Lex, kehrite afterwardz? Juzt a friendly zpar."
Lex laughed. Scar had told her all about Jag wanting to have a spar with her.
"Well Jag, that's a nice offer but I'm not stupid." Jag titled his head as did Molten who both were confused.
Night gave out a low trill. He knew what she was getting at.
Standing up, Lex began to grin, "I don't let pride or ego get in the way of my decisions and since I hate to lose and be sore for the next few weeks, I do believe I'll pass."
Mouth opened wide, both Yuatja stared at her.
"She is right. You are both quite prideful. Good thing me and Scar along with Elder K'ash are good influences. I hate for our good ooman friend here to be so wrongfully misled." Both tried hard to keep from laughing but it was nearly impossible.
Growling in frustration, Molten blamed Jag but Jag blamed Molten. And soon enough both were off arguing again.
Scar came in shortly after but decided not to ask. Some things were better left untouched and unsaid.
"Your room is nice?"
"Very, though I am trying to switch the bench and the bed around. Too weak to follow it through." Lex poked at her muscles. Not built for hauling around metal furniture.
"You should have said something much sooner." Night stood up then, prepared to help Lex move her furniture.
Scar finished his food in one gulp before standing as well. The two made their way to her room, leaving her to lightly jog if she wanted to keep up.
"Its not necessary. I can live with the layout." Scar snorted at that.
She couldn't even try to argue because they weren't listening.
Chewing on her cheek in worry, the trio entered the female section of the living quarters. Some females pass, giving purrs in the males' direction and most just gave slight snarls her way.
"I'm not unlocking my door. I just told you it was fine." Crossing her arms, Lex prepared to stare down Scar. However, the showdown was shortly lived when Elder K'ash approached.
"Is everything alright? I saw you three storm out..."
"If you will, Elder, please unlock her door." Night gestured to the door in question.
Without a word, Elder K'ash did as Night asked and unlocked the door with his master key that allowed most if not all rooms to be available to him.
"Thank you." Both nodded in respect before heading inside.
"Ah, nice decorating. The room is nice, is it not?" Elder K'ash stood at the entrance, looking around the room in delight.
"Yes, Elder. I like it except for the two idiots who won't listen." Her voice rose in volume at the last part while she sent a glare their way.
He just laughed and watched as the two began to lift the bed out of the way so they could move her workbench just below the wall where all her skulls had been neatly placed on their shelves. The trophy room contained a few, but she preferred them out.
"I hate these two." The Elder just trilled in amusement again.
"I do like the arrangement of your trophies, Lex." Elder K'ash praised her, inspecting how she installed the shelves on the wall.
Technically, a bold move on her part rather than keep them on in the trophy room, but above the workbench where she would polish them was practical he supposed.
Scar snapped his head around to stare at the elder for his boldness. Even Night stopped to look back at the two, but unlike his friend, he knew the elder's praise held nothing more approval of her choice. He knew what the elder thought of Lex.
"Thank you." Before Scar could bother to protest, another joined them.
"Hello, Elder K'ash," at seeing the Elder, Ka'lu bowed her head in respect.
"Ka'lu?" Lex looked at the orange-eyed Yuatja in her doorway. "Did you need something?"
"Oh, no. I just didn't see you at mealtime." Ka'lu kept with her native tongue, making it much easier to understand her.
"Oh yeah. I headed in early but now Elder K'ash let these two in and they're moving furniture. " The Elder just grinned at her.
Finally, the two set the bench under her skulls and the bed by the window.
"See? That wasn't so bad." Scar looked over smugly.
"Thank you," Scar's smile widened but it was shot down by her next comment, "I'm still pissed so get out." Night trilled, amused, and followed Scar out the door.
However, Ka'lu still watched amazed at her easy relationship especially with the Elder and the males.
"I would yell at you but you're an Elder and you helped me too much for me to be ungrateful but this is still my room." At her shoo motion, the Elder complied and left.
"Sorry, Ka'lu. Was there something you needed?" Lex realizing she spoke in English, repeated her question in Yautjan.
"That was kind of them to help you… are you interested? The elder perhaps?" Ka'lu cocked her head, pondering the question herself.
"Um no... Why would I be?" Immediately, Lex felt uncomfortable and guarded.
"Mating season is only a week or so away. You're ooman so I guess you don't feel the urges that we do." She shrugged, mimicing the human way for nonchalance well.
Lex stared wide-eyed. She remembered something like that at the festival where she had her second trial.
"M - mating season?!"