[M] Shifting Stars .:{Argon Jaden & AsharaSahara}:.

[Argon Jaden]

"The ship itself is rather sturdy and can withstand an impact of something as big as itself." Cappy said, leading down the hallway. Everyone was probably busy, and the humans were bound to not wander off. That could explain the lack of Terrians in the vicinity. "Still, it's best to keep the ship safe from roaming space rocks."

Cappy kept the chatter up, mostly explaining about how easy it was to get caught in a belt, considering a lot of the space trails used by ships were the common ones. Their ship, more of a scouting ship, was designed to have longer reach and to be able to explore as well as sustain itself for long periods of time.

As they approached the door to the showers, Captain hummed softly. "I suppose you will need a special set of undergarments after. Might as well teach you how to use the showers." She said before letting out a soft sigh. "While the amount being carried is enough for the ship to sustain, I'm more concerned with how our current foodsource will handle the doubled amount." She says, stopping in front of the shower room. "Odd…" Cappy muttered before shrugging.

"Shall we?" She gestures for the colonel to enter.

---

The rubbing slowly calmed the panicked child down and it took a while but the child's mov3ments stilled. Shier, on thw other hand, was still wincing in pain. When the human had taken his hand and preased it against the growing bulge, he let out a soft sigh. His body shuddered from sitting up, but he refused to lie down. Shier let out a soft whine, leaning heavily on the short himan as they rubbed soothing circles on his belly. Wordlessly, he tried to wrack his brain for words.

"Is… ni-nice." He slurred softly before his stomach rumbled again. Shier stared straight at the himan and blinked, trying to convey his message despite his expression scrunching up. As if to emphasize, his stomach let out a low growl, making the baby kick that caused the Terrian to double over in pain. "Please?" He whined, the raspness of his voice breaking into a whimper when his stomach growled again.

---

He let out another pleased rumble at his mate's display of dominance, pulling Demetri wven closer to him. He purred buckinh his hips ever so slightly while his hand reached between them, teasingly ghosting over warm flesh. "How do you want me, Demi?" He murmured softly, seemingly excited to move on with what they were planning. He was completely unaware of the fact that Captain was about to enter the showers and would most likely hear their indecency.

---

The boy's enthusiasm was definitely something, although it seemed that Ruri wasn't really able to fully keep up with everything. "I'm glad you liked it." He said, going back to his cooking. As the one in charge of the meals, he was sure they had more than enough for now, but if the journey to Terria was going to take longer than a week, then that might be a problem for their supplies.

"Those you call carrots? Yes? We usually liquefy it and mix it with other herbs to make anti-bacterial paste." Ruri says patiently. Gio and Klaus look over, seemingly done with their share of food and was very eager to eat more. Ruri, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to throw them out.

There was a sudden beeping sound and the shorter Terrian went to pull out another two loaves of bread. "Is this enough to feed your kind?" He asked. It was obvious that Ruri was more than willing to cook more to accomodate the humans, and was also very willing to let Abe help. That and shok the other two out of the kitchen.

[ArtisticVicu]

Colonel Richards listened attentively even as her gaze wandered from time to time. It was all so fascinating despite the dire situation it could be.

She looked to Cappy when the Terrian hummed. The comment about undergarments had her looking away, face burning slightly. While she appreciated the thought, Colonel Richards was - sadly - rather used to not having the option of fresh clothing of any kind for an extended period of time. It happens and she's long since gotten over the discomfort that normally comes with that thought. She was grateful when the other spoke of a different topic, allowing her the chance to comment. "There's no need for you to risk your stores with doubling food production. I know many will complain at smaller portions but we are here alive and unharmed thanks to Ophir's words and his standing with your crew, however that may be. A few days with smaller meals than what many are used to is no hardship compared to what and where we could be. You've already given us more luxury than we would have should the situation have been reversed."

She paused at the door, curious as to what was odd, but when Cappy didn't offer, she didn't push and simply entered the room at Cappy's gesture.

The space was certainly different than what she had anticipated, as were the showers. They were more pods than shower stalls and certainly far more technological compared to anything she had ever used. One pod was currently closed, the sound of water muffled by the door. "Impressive," tumbled passed her lips but she didn't withdraw her words.

---

Abel gave a soft grunt as he took on Shier's weight; not because the Terrian was heavy but because he hadn't expected it. The Terrian was suddenly very close and Abel stiffened. This close made it hard to not breathe in the Terrian's scent. It felt far too intimate of an act to acknowledge and yet he found that the other smelt rather pleasant, despite the tang of whatever hung around from his encapsulation. Abel's erratic thoughts quickly prayed his own scent was not displeasing as he released Shier's wrist to wrap his arm around the other's back, supporting his weight even more.

He kept rubbing his other hand over the child, grateful it seemed to be working.

The words startled him and his hand stilled in shock. This was nice? Abel felt a large amount of tension vanish as relief flooded his systems. He had forgotten he had been trying to respect Shier's boundaries that now that he was beyond the point of no return and not being pushed away or told off was heady stuff. Another growl, another kick, and Abel reflectively tightened his hold around Shier. "Ok," he spoke, restating the eye contact. He offered a smile. "It's ok. There's no need for pleasantries with that." He slowly released Shier, taking a step back just as slowly to make sure Shier was taking his own weight just fine. "If you need food, I'll get you food. I just need you to point me in the right direction. Right or left?"

---

"Begging and quivering in my arms," he replied almost instantly with a low growl accompanying his words. He shifted to place both hands under Tala's thighs and hefted the Terrian up, pinning him with his chest. "Pleading for more, for something far more filling."

He stroked a hand up and squeezed a butt cheek. His mind, though hazed with lust, was still quick and alert enough for him to not harm his partner. Despite his lack of experience in this - despite his need to just take Tala now and deal with the fallout later - he knew how it was done and what was needed to do it safely. At least, with humans.

He pressed his face into Tala's neck, slowing his breathing in order to clear his mind just a bit more. "Tala. Humans generally need lubrication and protection for this kind of thing." His brain fogged up again and he turned his face, diminishing the amount of Tala's scent he was breathing in with the hopes it would help. It did, sort of. "I need...I need you to tell me how to do this so I don't hurt you."

---

Abel blinked at the the two loaves, surprised the cook was even asking him. A quick count and it would be enough for everyone to have a decent slice of bread. "I don't see why it wouldn't," he commented, putting his empty bowl down on the nearest - safe - flat surface. He looked to the Terrian cook. "For everyone to get equal amounts and slicing it evenly till either end would give everyone a slice of bread large enough for the portion you gave me." He frowned, confused. "Why do you ask? Don't you already have set rations for feeding prisoners?"

He hadn't even expected to get such a large amount to try in the first place and was expecting to not eat again for a good while because of it. In fact, it brought his attention to the fact that there had been the assurance that no one was getting into trouble despite him being fed the portion. The thoughts colliding in his head made the words tumble passed his lips without control. "I mean, that's how this works, right? Small meals enough to keep us going without giving us too much excess energy to actually do anything disastrous. A certain amount portioned out over the day or a single meal like what I just had for the entirety of 24 hours, right?"

[Argon Jaden]

Cappy eyed the occupied pod, her face expressionless. Well, so long as they weren't loud and so long as she didn't make a sound louder than her regular speaking voice, everything should be just fine. She forced the growing snicker down and instead led Col. Richards to the dispenser. "For clothes. You put your dirty clothes there, and get new clothes from here, and get a towel here." She explained, pointing out the various spots as she pulled out a towel and clothes for herself, waiting for the Colonel to do the same. After that, she beckoned to one of the open pods.

"This panel seals the door. Water comes from here and can be controlled by pressing this, in terms of temperature. Soap and shampoo come from here." She says, slowly pointing the panels." She said, nodding. Cappy glanced at her, waiting to be dismissed or if she still had questions.

---

Soft huffs escaped his parted lips as Shier whined in displeasure. His stomach growled and the agitated child squirmed again. The Terrian looked pretty lost. Then the human spoke. Mentally, Shier told himself to remember his name. But for now, he just stared blankly, wincing all the while. What was right or left? He groaned softly, trying to pick up context clues from his limited human vocabulary.

"N-niakgap?" He asked softly, although it probably didn't answer the question. Shier's eyes widened at a particularly painful kick and a loud hiss escaped his lips just as realization set in. Of course. The kitchens. He gave a one-armed gesture to the right, hoping that answered the question. Of course, there's a chance that he could still get lost.

---

Tala moaned softly at the contact, melting into his mate's hands. The blonde's back arched as his hands grasped Demetri, soft whimpers escaping his lips. "Okay. Okay, I can work with that." He said breathlessly, shifting a little and giving his mate better access.

"I guessed as much, but good for you, I'm not human." He purred, accepting that his mate wanted to take him at this moment in time. Pressing open mouthed kisses into his neck, Tala guided the hand kneading his flesh downward, where he needed it the most. Moist, slick heat from his body would make things easier and he grinned cheekily on his mate's skin, moaning softly when he guided Demetri's fingers inside the inviting heat.

He purred loudly. "See? All nice and ready for you." The blonde teased playfully, admitting that he had anticipated this and probably prepared himself during his earlier bath. Tala's eyes flicked up at his mate's face as a teasing smirk escaped him.

Meanwhile, just outside the pod, Cappy could hear the loud purring and soft moans that was increasingly getting louder and louder. One need not to be a Terrian to hear the activities happening in the pod. She had half the mind to tell them to quiet down, or to tell them to do it in Tala's private chamber.

---

Now Ruri just looked confused. "I thought humans ate at least three meals a day?" He said. Considering Terrians themselves don't need to eat much, just one heavy meal for a day and they'd be more than fine, he expected that human stomachs couldn't really keep up with their eating schedule. Gio and Klaus shared a look.

"Look, Abe." Klaus said, voice gruff but not unkind. "That's not how it works. Food is there not as something to bribe you with, you're not prisoners."

"Those in this ship at least." Gio butted in, earning glares from both Ruri and Klaus. "What? It's true. Demetri said the other's in Kion's ship are prisoners and will be treated as such." The looks didn't falter. "…… It's not like they're gonna starve, they'll still be taken care of, just, not as nicely." He finished, withering under Klaus's gaze.

Klaus sighed. "That's the gist of it. For Terrians alone, we can last your human months out without making stops, but we're also doing this for our own kind. Neglecting to feed our atisib, er.…" He paused, unsure of how to translate the words.

"What he's saying is, this is Terrian hospitality to non-hostile visitors and allies." Ruri tittered softly, patting Abe on the head. "Besides, considering the fact that your human bunch will be stuck with our fleet, we may be the next closest thing to town and family to your bunch." He says quietly. "We wish the humans woild understand, but the last time we tried sending representatives to Earth, we had to retreat." Ruri said wistfully, before going back to cooking. "Would you like to help bring the food to the humans?"

[ArtisticVicu]

Demetri let out a deep moan, lust and need taking over before he could even think more on the fact. He captured Tala's lips in a passionate kiss.

Colonel Richards dutifully followed Cappy about, paying attention to what was being shown to her. Only trouble was, once they had reached the point of her either asking any questions or thanking Cappy for her aid, she was not only able to hear the noises coming from the pod, but comprehend what they meant. She glanced at the pod as a deep moan could be heard from it, asking, "Is that a common occurrence? Sex in public places, I mean."

Oh she had no doubt that was what she was hearing, betting it was only at the foreplay stage if she had to gauge the sound levels. Sometimes she hated how close quarters had made her practically immune to the sounds. At one point, she may have gotten hot by the sounds but having walked in on too many and having heard too much left her only feeling annoyed that the pair enjoying themselves weren't paying enough attention to take it elsewhere and mildly glad that someone was getting it. Stars knew how long she had been without.

---

Abel grinned. That was good enough for him. He reached out without thinking an dragged his fingers through Shier's hair, his hand going to the baby briefly. "I'll be quick."

With that, he left at a run heading right as soon as he hit the hallway. His only hope was that he found the kitchen without trouble.

---

Abe blinked owlishly at all of them, surprised but in a good way. He grinned, responding happily, "It depends on the human and their eating habits, good and bad. Generally it's advised to eat at least three meals a day but it is said that it's better to eat several small meals throughout the day rather than three large ones spread out. But different cultures have their different habits and sometimes we're not the greatest at following what's best for us."

But the joy didn't last long as he closed off some of his expression to the emotions that came with the rest of the conversation. "Humans are stubborn and believe lies far too easily. I think there will be a few that will be able to accept and conform just fine to your way of life, but I doubt you'll get 100%. There's usually always an outlier or two."

He made the grin come back fully but it felt fake. "And I want to help in any way I can."

He didn't want to go back to his parents, to the room with Dr. Strauss and Tasha and be subjected to that kind of isolation and the looks. At least this way their whispers of him being brainwashed and turncoat would have merit instead of being based on lies.

He hoped Seij was doing ok.

The sound of a heavy run drew Abe from his thoughts and he blinked when a stout human came bursting into the kitchen a bit winded but alert and not in a panic. Abe frowned, trying to remember who the other was. He was certain he knew the man.

"Shier's hungry." Oh yeah. Abel, the one that Demetri had gone after or something like that. Abe liked Abel, despite knowing so little of the man. The way the other didn't even bat an eye at the Terrian's in the room was a big part of that. Abel came forward but stopped a respectable distance away. "I know I'm not supposed to go anywhere but he's kind of freaking out because the baby's responding to the sound of his stomach growling and so I came to get him something to eat, if that's ok."

Abe watched Abel. The man stood as tall as his short height would allow, proud and unapologetic while still being polite and kind but there was a hint that the pride and unapologetic way he held himself was a mask as Abel's fingers curled into his shirt, wringing the fabric in as discrete of a manner as he could manage.

[Argon Jaden]

"I assure you, this is deviant behavior among our kind." Cappy said, sounding slightly more concerned when there was a soft, high pitched whine accompanying the low moan. The azure haired woman scoffed before letting out a low, loud growl that reverberated through the air and the walls.

At first, Tala didn't notice anything, far too taken with his mate. But then, there was a prickling feeling at the base of his skull, followed by a low sound. Immediately, he stopped, pulling away from his mate. Tala's face had paled considerably as he listened to the low threats that Cappy was spewing. Before flushing brightly when her voice called out to them. "I'm giving you sixty seconds to get dressed and get out." She said with a low rumble. "You should both know better than to get frisky in the showers. What if it was one of the minors that had walked in?" She asked, voice calm, but the amount of displeasure and annoyance had Tala shrinking in on himself a little. He'd prefer a noisy, irritated Cappy over a quiet, passively enraged one. "Out. If you two want to continue that, do it in your quarters." She scolded, patiently waiting for the two of them to get dressed and get out.

---

Ruri smiled at his words. "I can see why Seij was taken with you." The Terrian said with a grin, patting Abe on the head. Gio and Klaus seemed to smile at his words. "It's fine though. We expect resistance, just not anything that would make this small ship chaotic." Gio raised a brow.

"Granted, this ship is pretty big, if you think about it. Although, it's plenty small compared to other ships." He said, a thoughtful look on his face while Klaus rolled his eyes, moving over to get bowls from a cabinet. The cabinet had glowed for a split second, as if affirming that there was someone in front, before unlocking from the inside. Just as he got a bowl out, another human entered the kitchen, silencing all three Terrians as they turned to stare at him.

They shared a look before Klaus raised a brow. "No, it's fine. I'm pretty sure you're all allowed to roam, just not in some restricted areas." He offered, handing Ruri the bowl. The strawberry blonde nodded and began to prepare a small meal for Shier.

"What about you? Do you want to eat too, or are you going to eat with the other humans?" Gio asked. Ruri clicked his tongue and set two bowls of food on a small tray. One was filled with more meat-like substance and vegetables while the other was soupier in texture. The soupier one had an extra slice of bread too. He tapped Abe on the shoulder.

"Could you get two… water… containers from the cupboard over there? Then fill it with water from the… um, from this?" Ruri said, gesturing to another odd machine nearby. Finally, he set his eyes on Abel and gestured at the food. "This one is Shier's. I put some vitamins and boosters in the soup since his stomach probably can't handle heavy digesting at the moment." He said, gesturing to the one with less meat-things. "The other one's yours, since you're probably hungry yourself. Just don't forgwt to put the leftovers there in that bin and the bowls and plates over there." He instructed.

Gio and Klaus were watching Abel with curiosity rather than animosity. "……He's a rather short human, isn't he?" Gio said, only to be elbowed by Klaus who was trying his best to not laugh at the statement. He snorted, before flinching when Ruri's eyes narrowed. At once, the two of them flitted around the kitchen, getting eating utwnsils ready.

"Hmph. You're both just far too tall." Ruri sniffed indignantly, pushing a small plate of simatanim on the tray that he gave Abel. "Go on now. We never keep pregnant Terrians waiting. Let them starve and the child might eat their way out." It was only in jest, but that was kind of hard to know from his expression. Turning bavk to the others he nodded. "How many plates do we need again?"

[ArtisticVicu]

He was confused when Tala pulled away, forcing his body to still as he took stock of his mate. Had it been something he had done?

His question was answered by Cappy's voice cutting through the air, the low rumble finally registering in his brain.

"Shit," he hissed, putting space between him and Tala. Whatever need remained was gone and he grabbed at his towel, having at his skin. "Tala," he spoke but the words failed. He wanted to ask for clothing, not remembering anything beyond where his towel had been tucked. He didn't want to go out there in a towel of all thing.

Col. Richards found annoyance giving away to amusement as Cappy spoke. The hissed 'shit' that barely reached her ears had her looking away, a hand coming up to hid the grin trying to break free. Well that explained who it was, even as the nearly whined name floated to her ears. Despite knowing who Demetri seemed bodily attached to, she had heard him use that expletive often enough to recognize it.

---

Abel shook his head in response to him eating. He didn't need to eat and it was best that the other humans - especially the younger ones - got enough to eat even if that meant he went hungry. But it seemed to not matter as two bowls were placed on a tray.

Abe, for his part, gave a confident nod and went to collect the water. The cupboard was strange but not overly different from home. The odd machine was certainly different, though. He prodded at it while the cook explained the tray to Abel.

Abel glanced at the bin and the locations for the dishes before focusing on the Terrian. He gave a nod. "I won't," he assured the cook. He deflated slightly as Abel figured out the water. "And thank you for your generosity with the food. There's no need for it."

He was going to say more but he caught ear of the comment on his height. Scoffing, he held himself taller.

He jumped when the tray was handed to him. Abe quickly put the two glasses on the tray with a grin to Abel. Abel offered the tall youth an appreciated smile before looking to the cook confused and mildly concerned. He looked to able as the Terrian walked away. "He's joking, right?"

Abe shrugged, more confused than Abel was. "I have no idea but you'd best go in case it is."

Abel tightened his grip on the tray and turned. As he went to the door, he called back, "Thank you for the food! I'll bring the dishes back as soon as we're done."

And with that, he was on his way back to the infirmary.

[Argon Jaden]

Tala had scrambled around in an embarrassed panic, the normally shameless Terrian flushed red with every passing second. Yellow-green eyes flicked up at Demetri with urgency before scrambling about in the small space. Vaguely, he recalled showing Demetri the clothes dispenser but not getting any clothes for them. The blonde flushed even more, looking around the room befoee letting out a weak sound.

"Cappy, edewp ab sabamul ak anum? Alaw gnimak timad." Tala sounded so small and sheepish with the admission. And Cappy just sighed, returning to the clothes dispenser and retrieving two sets of clothes for them.

"Tikab isak otid oyak nagnupmalal?" She asks crossly, opening the shower slightly and handing Tala the clothes, obviously uninterested with the naked people hiding away inside. "One minute." Cappy waited for them to get out, standing by Col. Richards' side with her fingers rubbing her temples. They were to get a lecture, the ship had minors on board!

---

The Terrians watched him leave with amused looks, though Ruri's face was impassive. Once Abel was out of earshot, Gio snorted. "Well, he does know that Ruri was joking, right?" Ruri only smiled mysteriously, before chuckking softly.

"Who knows? The baby is part Edneud." The strawberry-blond said before setting the food once more. There was still food in the pot behind him, and it was obvious that the Terrians could still eat if they wanted to. "That said and done, time to feed the others." He said, gesturing for them to leave the kitchen with the food ready.

It was a quiet walk; as quiet as it could get with Gio trying to question Ruri and Klaus. "Well, I sure don't know! What do you think Abe? I mean, Shier's baby is a halfling, but, I'm not too privy on Edneud births myself so…" Klaus and Ruri had ignored him in favor of leading the way to the other humans.

Both Terrians had entered with small smiles, trying to be as accomodating as possible while they tried to get everyone comfortable for their meal. Ruri allowed Abe to help distribute the food. Still, it was obvious that Klaus and Gio were trying hard not to respond negatively against the distrusting atmosphere.

---

The smell of food passing by had Shier scrunching his nose, letting out a soft whine when his stomach growled and the baby thrashed in response. It was exhausting, and he just wanted to rest, sleep mostly. The Terrian exhaled softly, ignoring the hunger pangs and angry kicks from the little one.

His stomach growled again, and Shier braced himself for the thrashing that quickly followed. His breathing was labored and his stomach protruded with every kick and punch. "Tsk…" He growled in irritation, hissing softly when another swift kick landed on his stomach.

[ArtisticVicu]

Demetri slowed as he listened to Tala and Cappy talk. As embarrassing as it was, he wasn't as freaked out as Tala seemed. He frowned, watching Tala as the shower opened a bit for the clothes Cappy proffered. As soon as it was closed again, he walked up behind Tala and wrapped his arms around the Terrian, a hand covering the other's eyes from behind as he kissed Tala's neck, other hand rubbing Tala's arm. "Hey, it's ok. We were reckless and it's better her rather than a minor or any of the others for that matter." He moved the hand on Tala's arm to the clothing, taking it from Tala. "Take a breath and calm down. I've got you. We've got clothes. It'll be alright."

Despite the words being soft and meant only for Tala, they carried due to the proximity to the door and Col. Richards felt her good mood vanish. Her heart ached with the knowledge that Tala had such a caring and understanding partner. While a part of her sneered at being jealous of a Terrian, she envied both the Terrian and the non-human their odd relationship. With as new as it had to be, it sounded as if their relationship would last a lifetime.

Col. Richards turned, putting her side to the shower as she faced Cappy. "Will you be giving them any slack?" she asked, though she wasn't expecting much of it. "They have been through quite a lot and there wasn't that high of a minor stumbling in as you make it sound." She arched an eyebrow, curious on her own comment. "Unless I miscounted how many minors are actually present?"

Demetri found himself relaxing hearing Col. Richards's soft words. It was oddly comforting to know that the Colonel was still with the Terrian Captain, despite the situation.

---

Abe took what he could to help carry the food. He followed the others as he did his best to be careful. He blinked owlishly at Gio, commenting despite not really wanting to encourage discourse, "I don't actually know much about reproduction of your kind or the Edneud." His large gaze fell to not really focus on anything as he admitted, "I barely understand the human reproduction process." He turned his gaze back to Gio, his lips a flat line. "My mom and dad gave me a bullshit talk despite their degrees."

He stopped talking as soon as they entered a space full of humans. He bristled as confused, pleading, distrusting, and hateful gazes were turned on him. He pretended none of it bothered him as he helped the cook distribute food. No one talked to him, too wary of the Terrians to even attempt to communicate with him, but the rest of the room was filled with the buzz of soft chatter. He could make out a small fraction of the conversations.

They left a bad taste in his mouth.

While there were confused talks about the quantity and quality of the food - some were even grateful for it - there were far more that had distrusting words, a few going as far as to assume they were being fattened up for consumption.

It was those kinds and the ones that spoke of the food being tainted with poisons or drugs that made him feel sick. He wanted to scream and yell at them for being so stupid, to cry because of the glares he was getting and the isolation he was feeling. By the time they were done serving food, Abe couldn't bring his gaze up and had drifted close to Ruri, unknowingly looking for comfort.

He wanted Seij.

---

Abel was careful as he traversed the hallway, tray held tight and everything carefully balanced. He entered the infirmary, offering without looking up from the food, "Sorry that took a while, Shier. I've got you some food and water and it would seem that they gave me something to eat with you so that you're not eating alone."

Not that he was sure that was the reason behind it. It had truly sounded like the cook had genuinely believed he was in need of good food and served him as such. Not that he could complain. The odd dish smelled delicious and he was excited to dive in.

He placed the tray on his stool. He picked up the bowl and glass of water for Shier, turning to the Terrian. "Do you want help situating yourself to eat or are you good?"

[Argon Jaden]

Tala actually flinched at the touch, body seizing up before he let out a soft sigh, relaxing under the soft touch. After taking a deep breath, the blonde nodded, before slipping on the clean clothes. The material was soft, but had a rather spongy texture, despite not being porous. It calmed Tala somewhat and he exhaled, releasing all the nerves that had been curling as soon as Cappy had spoken.

"No, I― It's just that I wanted you so bad, and I wasn't responsible enough. I didn't think about what would happen in such close quarters and Iー" The blonde felt the thought go sour. "I wasn't thinking clearly, and Cappy was just reminding me that I should still be aware." All this was said in a soft, sad whisper. He had placed his wants over whether or not Demi was fine with it here, knowingly twmpting his mate.

Cappy sighed softly, watching the two of them step out of the shower. "A minor is a small issue, and their indecency I can look over." Cappy agreed softly. "But a firm warning and a small lecture should be enough. I'm not doing this to torment either of them, but," Tala met her eyes, and Cappy stared him down. Those eyes were apologetic, yet defiant. "Proper decorum must still be maintained, especially since it seems as if the relationship of the crew is still rather fragile." Her eyes landed on Demetri. "Besides, while it amuses me to no end, I'd rather not hear how you fornicating with Tala, especially in places where your voices echo." She had warned, almost smirking at Tala who averted his eyes.

"We'll arrange shifts so you can have your private time with your mate." Cappy said, red eyes glinting slightly while Tala gave her a thankful look. "Anyway, you two go eat. Then you have some time alone. Seij'll fetch you so we can arrange shifts and reroute."

Tala nodded, gripping Demetri's hand. Cappy was being lenient. He gave Colonel Richards a shy smile before turning on Demetri and beaming up at him. "Let's get something to eat first! Then I can show you my bunk! It's not very big though, but we can fit in the bed!" He said, bouncing back to his usual self.

Cappy snorted and gestured to the other unoccupies showers. "Well, shall we? We might even be able eat with the otger humans if we hurry." She says, flicking some of thw dried slime and blood off her shoulder. The smell was starting to become really unpleasant. So, while watching the Colonel, just in case she needs extra help, Cappy got into the shower, letting out a sigh as she scrubbsd the muck off of her person. A quick and efficient shower was enough. Ten minutes later, she had stepped out, hair slightly damp, but dressed in fresh clothes devoid of stains of any sort.

---

Despite their best efforts, Ruri could see how much distrust was amongst the humans. He couldn't exactly blame them. Gio and Klaus had started on talking quietly, or as quietly as their rough accents allowed, in Terrian, discussing the behavior of the humans awkwardly. It was Klaus mostly telling the giant Gio to stop hovering over the humans, asking them if they needed anything else. Ruri sighed, feeling the stress radiating off the boy. It orked him.

"Hey, I've got an idea." He began, grabbing a spare bowl and filling it with soup and bread. He let out a low rumble that had Gio and Klaus looking over curiously. "Here, I'm pretty sure Seij hasn't eaten yet. Why don't you bring thia to him?" He said, practically ushering Abe out the door. "Oh, don't just enter though. Tell him to unlock the door."

Satisfied with that, he waited until Abe was away before turning to look at the humans. "Over and over again, I try and understand what's going on in your brains. And really, I can see why you're so upset." His eyes sharpened threateningly, and Gio was torn between standing between him and the humans while Klaus just tensed.

"However, shunning your own kin like that is just unacceptable." Ruri's voice had adapted that harmonious, bird-like quality, but underneath it, there was an unmistakable growl that reverberated through the entire ship. The Terrian scoffed, but it was such a harsh sound that it made Gio take a step back. "Times like this, I really wonder why the Terrian Alliance cares about saving races like yourselves from the Edneud. Are you even worth saving? With your attitude towards one so curious and eager to make you all feel comfortable?"

"Ruri. Amat an." Klaus said softly, managing to slink close to the enraged Terrian. He understood the confusion and the reason why Ruri was mad. He was a Terrian. These were humans. They were different, their social dynamics, no matter how similar, differed vastly. "You're not doing yourself any favors from scolding them." He said calmly while Gio sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, I can see Mai peeking from the corner. You've gotten him concerned over your fretting." Sure enough, two Terrians ducked back into the hall. The ship was already buzzing with concerned rumbles, although inaudible to the human ear. "Calm down."

"I'm calm. Awaaan gnal oka as atab." Ruri replied in a defeated tone before shrugging it off and leaving the two to clean up. After all, he atill had to prepare food for the crew.

---

Seij had glanced up at the rumbling sound. Ruri sounded upset, and not in the sad way, no. The Terrian sounded angry, and disappointed. He let out a low purr, getting one in response when Ruri responded that something just got on his nerves. He hummed. Minus Tala, it would mean the large bed for everyone then. His stomach growled a little.

The dark haired Terrian looked at the flickering coms, as well as the scanning radars. There was absolutely no sign of trouble, but they still had some time here in space. The next Terrian hub was a few days away and definitely, they would need to restock. Kion pinged and the console popped up. It was a simple message as well as a coordinate system for the nearest, nonhostile planet. Their ship was to make a stop and they would meet up at the hub it seemed. Seij hummed and agreed, rerouting the course and sending the most efficient path back to Kion. Hopefully, they don't encounter any enemy fleets. As it was, they were already operating from the sidelines of the battlefield.

---

He could smell the food before he could see it. And when it arrived, there was such a happy smile on his face that even the abuse of the child inside him didn't faze the smile. Eagerly reaching for the bowl, he muttered out a soft word of thanks in Terrian before devouring the contents of the food, though he did try very hard to eat slowly.

The broth was warm and it slid down hia throat softky. The nostalgic taste warmed his cheeks and eyes. For a momwnt, Shier remembered his own crew. He remember Quinn's snow colored hair as the Captain charged into battle, silent as the voids in space. He remembered his various crewmates as they all flocked to the kitchen, only to be booted out by their cook. He remembers diacussing battle plans and galactic terrain with them. He remembers their smilea, their last days. He remembers being shot down. He remembers the human ship, he remembers how the his crew fought and lost as they tried to hold the enemies long enough for thw humans. He eemembers their ships flying through space in a retreat. He remembers getting caught. He remembers crashing. He remembers waking up to suffocating darkness with sharp pains everywhere. He remembera those cold, yellow-black eyes that peer down at him like he was some sort of prize.

Shier had stopped eating, and was staring blankly into the meal. His eyes were dripping with tears, and he just sat there, frozen in memory and lost. It was all crashing down now it seemed. The utter grief and despair that was consuming him from the inside. He was trembling slightly, not really there as he let out a wordless sound. That sound was a sharp rumble of a cry. It was grief, vibrating through the walls of the ship. No one answered the call, allowing him to let the choked rumbles slip out. At times, the sound became audible to the human ear but mostly, it stayed out of the spectrum. The baby kicked in displeasure and Shier shuddered, stomach growling but appetite lost.