Kitty laid back comfortably in Amelia's bed, put her hands behind her head, and told Amelia the whole truth of how she had gotten here. "All right," Kitty began. "This is the truth, even if it sounds a little too good to be true. I saw a movie---one of my absolute favorites, by the way---where one of the main characters was you, Captain Amelia."
"You don't say. Now...what´s a movie?" Amelia questioned, her expression curious.Kitty sighed. "Think of it as a series of moving pictures, all right," Kitty explained.
"Hmm," Amelia said, unconvinced, yet curious still. "Do go on, girl."
"As I said...in this movie, you were one of the main characters. I remember the first time I saw it, and I saw you...and well, I liked you immediately. Even if you were the Captain, I liked you best of all. When I finally figured out that I was heading out on my own and leaving my parents, I met this very special woman---you know, the one I mentioned with the ring---and I figured that if I came here and meet you...well, then maybe I could convince you to let me stay."
Amelia smiled at the girl's spunk and determination. "Of course," she said matter-of-factly. She found she was already becoming a little bit fond of this girl. It was then that Kittys stomach growled with hunger. "Hungry? Hmm, I don't wonder...teenagers are born hungry, I think," Amelia said, grinning slightly at her comments.
"Yes, I'm starved!" Kitty replied eagerly.
"I see. Is there anything you want specifically?" Amelia asked.
"Well...I've always wanted to try a purp, if that's okay with you," Kitty said.
"Wise choice, Kitty. Those...we have plenty of. Now, if you'll excuse me, I´ll be right back with some," Amelia said and went out of her bed chambers. Outside in her stateroom, she meet Arrow. "Ah, hello there, Arrow," she said smiling.
"Yes, Captain?" Arrow smiled. "So, what's the news regarding our newest passenger?"
"I'm pleased to report that she's woken up and requests a purp of all thing," Amelia said, the barest hint of a smile coming to her lips.
Arrow couldn't help himself, and grinned. "Then, I shall go down immediately and see to it, Captain," he said, excused himself, and walked down to the ship's galley.
It wasn't too long and Amelia spotted the young Alexander Dalley, the ship's cabin boy, dashing up the stairst to screech to a halt in front of Amelia. "Here are those purps you requested, Captain," he declared.
"Thank you, Mr. Dalley," Amelia replied, taking three of the purps off of the plate the felinid boy held up. "That will be all," Amelia said dismissing the eager lad, and nodded to him just before she headed back inside her stateroom. She made her way back to her sleeping chambers. Opening the door, she was about to announce that the purps were there, when she noticed that Kitty had fallen asleep...again.
She put the purple fruit down on the nightstand beside her bed, when there came a soft knock upon the door, just before Arrow made his way inside. "Hmm, she looks like a nice girl, don´t you think, Arrow?" Amelia asked.
"Yes, she does, Captain. She does at that," Arrow answered, nodding his head.
"Did you know that she's already asked me if she can stay with us," Amelia said.
Arrow looked over at Amelia, curiously. "And what did you say, Amelia?"
"Well, old man, I will confess that I do like her, rogue that she may be," Amelia said. "And, I suppose that if we train her to be a spacer, we could well, add another member to our little family."
Arrow smiled at that, adjusting his hat. "Then, I suppose she stays," he declared with a grin.
"Thanks!" a voice called out from the bed. Kitty had opened her eyes once more, and smiled at Arrow and Amelia. "May I have that purp now? I'm starved!" she asked.
Amelia tossed one of the three purps to her. Kitty promptly bit into it, and tasted the tangy little purple fruit. "Hmm, not bad," she said by way of commentary.
"One does grow used to them, you know," Amelia
said by way of advice. "You see, purps are used in nearly every
meal served aboard ship, to prevent scurvy, you understand."
Kitty
finished the first purp, then rapidly polished off the remaining two.
She then smiled and decided to try stand up on her own two feet.
"It seems you are getting better," Arrow remarked.
"Thank you, Arrow," Kitty said. She then looked at herself in the mirror and mumbled something quietly. Much to Amelia and Arrow's surprise, the girl was instantly arrayed in the attire much like Amelia's own uniform. The main difference was that while Amelia's uniform was blue and gold, Kitty´s was white and gold and without the epaulettes. Her boots were a cream color and sported normal heels instead of the high heels Amelia favored. Her gloves where gold instead of white, but aside from those small differences was nearly identical to Amelia's own. Arrow's craggy eyebrow arched up, which Kitty was coming to understand was his way of expressing surprise. "I got tired of my old clothes," Kitty explained, blinked to hide her own embarrassment.
Amelia smiled and took Kitty's hand in her own. "Very well then, Ms. Petro. I do think it's high time you met our crew. I think they are very much worried about you."
"Oh? Why?" Kitty said blinking in surprise.
Amelia smiled. "You see, for this voyage, I'm here to train some of our latest batch of cadets out of the Academy. This will be their first time out upon the Etherium, and they're here to learn. Now, that's all well and fine, of course, but you must realize that a teenage girl almost literally falling in on what's essential a ship full of teenage males is hardly something any of them are going to miss out on, I would think. Don't you agree, dear?"
"Just let one of them try flirting with me, and I'll show them what's what!" Kitty promised, balled her hand into a fist and scowling furiously.
Amelia only smiled a very mysterious smile, one that made Kitty worried. "That's the spirit, girl! Well, shall we go meet them then, hmm?"