A/N: Well, it's been a while. Sorry :( It's been a hectic few months (Don't ask). Hopefully I'll be writing in all of my stories again. And hopefully people are still reading them. Anyway...
Since they were staying, Tyr insisted that both Rully and Estay take baths and keep taking them. Estay discovered that she had red hair, hidden under all those years' worth of grime. Rullin's was brown. And, since they were weeks away from the nearest store, Rommie, Beka, and Trance donated some articles from their wardrobes to Estay. Reluctantly, Harper donated some outfits to Rullin. Estay ended up in a green halter top from Beka and some black pants from Rommie. Rullin, who was a bit too small for Harper's clothes, ended up in a baggy red and brown T-shirt, khaki pants with the bottoms rolled up, and one of Harper's old belts to hold them up.
"Geez," Beka commented as she saw Rully's outfit, "they were baggy enough on Harper. We really need to go shopping."
"Well, we could ask Dylan to make a special trip," Trance suggested.
"Sorry," Rommie said. "We're off to Arigon V."
"Where's that?" Trance asked.
"It's a little teeny world in Hematite constellation," Beka answered. "No shopping there. Oh well, I guess they'll have to make do for a while. Estay doesn't look half bad though."
"I'll say," Harper said, grinning as she walked by him. He turned to watch her walk down the hallway.
"Harper!" Trance exclaimed.
Beka slapped him in the back of the head.
"Ow! What did I do?" Harper demanded.
"She's too young for you!" Trance exclaimed and stalked off.
"What was that about?" Harper asked, scratching his head as Trance disappeared around the corner. Beka and Rommie exchanged a look and then took off the other way, leaving Harper to shrug and mutter, "Women!"
**************************
Estay walked onto the observation deck and stopped as she saw Rev Bem standing in front of the huge window. She knew he was harmless but the Magog still gave her the creeps. He turned as the door whooshed shut. "Sorry, did you want to be alone?" Estay asked nervously.
"No, no, please come in," Rev Bem said quickly. "Well, you look nice. I barely recognized you."
"Thanks," Estay said, fidgeting.
Rev Bem watched her intently. "You are afraid because of the way I look?" he asked, holding out his clawed hands.
"No, no," Estay assured him. She sighed. "It's just I've never met a Magog before and I thought that if I ever did I'd end up being dinner. No offense," she added quickly.
"None taken," Rev said smiling. He motioned toward one of the benches. "Would you like to sit down?"
Estay nodded and sat down on the bench facing the window. Rev Bem sat down next to her, but far enough away not to make her nervous. "So..." Estay said. "This ship...is it a good place to live?"
"It is not always the quietest or safest place to live, but we are helping to bring peace to a Universe in chaos. I think that makes it a good place to live," Rev Bem replied.
Estay nodded. "Yeah, well, I've never lived in a safe place or even a quiet place, and I don't plan to start. As for helping the Universe, I could get used to it."
"You do not have to get used to it," Rev Bem remarked.
"What do you mean?" Estay asked, puzzled.
"Perhaps you should do what makes you happy."
Estay laughed. "No. Dylan said if I start stealing, I'm off at the next orphanage."
"Stealing is what makes you happy. That is what you wish to do for the rest of your life?"
Estay was silent. She'd never stopped to think about whether or not she like being a theif. She'd never had a choice before. "I don't know. I never thought about it."
Rev Bem rose. "Then, I will leave you alone with the universe," he motioned toward the stars out the window, "to contemplate your true path."
**************************
Rullin walked over to the punching bag. He was bored. He'd decided to practice fighting so that when they got into trouble next time, Estay would let him fight too. He punched the bag it swung back. He smiled and punched again. Unfortunately, it moved and he missed completely. He tried again and missed again. He missed three more times.
Suddenly, he heard an impatient sigh from behind him. The Nietzschean stormed over to the Rullin. "What are you doing, Boy?"
Rully gulped. "Sorry sir, I was just practicing my fighting," he said quietly.
"Well, the bag was winning." Tyr grabbed the bag and steadied it. "Try it now." Rullin regarded him fearfully. "Hit the bag Boy!" Tyr barked. Rully jumped and gave the bag a weak punch. The Nietzschean flashed him an annoyed look. "If this were a fight, your opponent would crush you like a bug...after he stopped laughing."
Rullin looked down dejectedly. "Sorry."
"You need to put your body weight behind it," Tyr said. "Like this." He thrust the bag into Rully's hands, then stepped back and punched. Rullin ended up sprawled on the floor from the force of it. He scrambled back up and punched the bag like Tyr had shown him. "Better," the Nietzschean remarked evenly. "You'll need a lot of work. Your lessons start tomorrow, Boy. Meet me here at 0800 hours and don't be late."
Rullin's eye's widened. "Thank you sir." He ran out of the room.
As the boy left, Tyr noticed Beka leaning against the wall next to the door. She had an amused look on her face. "What?" Tyr demanded. "It's good exercise for me. Besides, we need all the people we can get in a fight."
"Whatever you say, Tyr," Beka said smirking. She walked out before he could reply.
Tyr growled and hit the punching bag.
Whew, I am sooo rusty. Tell me how you liked it. I hope to have more out soon.
Since they were staying, Tyr insisted that both Rully and Estay take baths and keep taking them. Estay discovered that she had red hair, hidden under all those years' worth of grime. Rullin's was brown. And, since they were weeks away from the nearest store, Rommie, Beka, and Trance donated some articles from their wardrobes to Estay. Reluctantly, Harper donated some outfits to Rullin. Estay ended up in a green halter top from Beka and some black pants from Rommie. Rullin, who was a bit too small for Harper's clothes, ended up in a baggy red and brown T-shirt, khaki pants with the bottoms rolled up, and one of Harper's old belts to hold them up.
"Geez," Beka commented as she saw Rully's outfit, "they were baggy enough on Harper. We really need to go shopping."
"Well, we could ask Dylan to make a special trip," Trance suggested.
"Sorry," Rommie said. "We're off to Arigon V."
"Where's that?" Trance asked.
"It's a little teeny world in Hematite constellation," Beka answered. "No shopping there. Oh well, I guess they'll have to make do for a while. Estay doesn't look half bad though."
"I'll say," Harper said, grinning as she walked by him. He turned to watch her walk down the hallway.
"Harper!" Trance exclaimed.
Beka slapped him in the back of the head.
"Ow! What did I do?" Harper demanded.
"She's too young for you!" Trance exclaimed and stalked off.
"What was that about?" Harper asked, scratching his head as Trance disappeared around the corner. Beka and Rommie exchanged a look and then took off the other way, leaving Harper to shrug and mutter, "Women!"
**************************
Estay walked onto the observation deck and stopped as she saw Rev Bem standing in front of the huge window. She knew he was harmless but the Magog still gave her the creeps. He turned as the door whooshed shut. "Sorry, did you want to be alone?" Estay asked nervously.
"No, no, please come in," Rev Bem said quickly. "Well, you look nice. I barely recognized you."
"Thanks," Estay said, fidgeting.
Rev Bem watched her intently. "You are afraid because of the way I look?" he asked, holding out his clawed hands.
"No, no," Estay assured him. She sighed. "It's just I've never met a Magog before and I thought that if I ever did I'd end up being dinner. No offense," she added quickly.
"None taken," Rev said smiling. He motioned toward one of the benches. "Would you like to sit down?"
Estay nodded and sat down on the bench facing the window. Rev Bem sat down next to her, but far enough away not to make her nervous. "So..." Estay said. "This ship...is it a good place to live?"
"It is not always the quietest or safest place to live, but we are helping to bring peace to a Universe in chaos. I think that makes it a good place to live," Rev Bem replied.
Estay nodded. "Yeah, well, I've never lived in a safe place or even a quiet place, and I don't plan to start. As for helping the Universe, I could get used to it."
"You do not have to get used to it," Rev Bem remarked.
"What do you mean?" Estay asked, puzzled.
"Perhaps you should do what makes you happy."
Estay laughed. "No. Dylan said if I start stealing, I'm off at the next orphanage."
"Stealing is what makes you happy. That is what you wish to do for the rest of your life?"
Estay was silent. She'd never stopped to think about whether or not she like being a theif. She'd never had a choice before. "I don't know. I never thought about it."
Rev Bem rose. "Then, I will leave you alone with the universe," he motioned toward the stars out the window, "to contemplate your true path."
**************************
Rullin walked over to the punching bag. He was bored. He'd decided to practice fighting so that when they got into trouble next time, Estay would let him fight too. He punched the bag it swung back. He smiled and punched again. Unfortunately, it moved and he missed completely. He tried again and missed again. He missed three more times.
Suddenly, he heard an impatient sigh from behind him. The Nietzschean stormed over to the Rullin. "What are you doing, Boy?"
Rully gulped. "Sorry sir, I was just practicing my fighting," he said quietly.
"Well, the bag was winning." Tyr grabbed the bag and steadied it. "Try it now." Rullin regarded him fearfully. "Hit the bag Boy!" Tyr barked. Rully jumped and gave the bag a weak punch. The Nietzschean flashed him an annoyed look. "If this were a fight, your opponent would crush you like a bug...after he stopped laughing."
Rullin looked down dejectedly. "Sorry."
"You need to put your body weight behind it," Tyr said. "Like this." He thrust the bag into Rully's hands, then stepped back and punched. Rullin ended up sprawled on the floor from the force of it. He scrambled back up and punched the bag like Tyr had shown him. "Better," the Nietzschean remarked evenly. "You'll need a lot of work. Your lessons start tomorrow, Boy. Meet me here at 0800 hours and don't be late."
Rullin's eye's widened. "Thank you sir." He ran out of the room.
As the boy left, Tyr noticed Beka leaning against the wall next to the door. She had an amused look on her face. "What?" Tyr demanded. "It's good exercise for me. Besides, we need all the people we can get in a fight."
"Whatever you say, Tyr," Beka said smirking. She walked out before he could reply.
Tyr growled and hit the punching bag.
Whew, I am sooo rusty. Tell me how you liked it. I hope to have more out soon.
