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There's no sign of the carinoux either, so I go room by room, opening doors and looking for the troublemaking duo. Am I going to find Sophie digging through stored parts in the crowded rooms? Or is she in hiding again, like she did when Bethiah showed up?
That…did not occur to me, and my steps quicken. I don't like the thought of her being scared. What if I've been grumbling about her being missing all day long and she's been quivering in fear, hiding? My gut clenches. My steps pick up, and even though my prosthetics are heavy, I race through the other hall, looking for signs of Sophie in distress. She'd been so happy earlier, so thrilled to be back with her pet, that I'd been resentful of it—and her.
No one's ever been that happy to see me.
I race toward the terrarium…and skid on wet floors. Sophie's there on hands and knees, washing the tile flooring of the terrarium. All of the leaves have been scraped off of the paths and into a neat pile, and some of the overgrown vines have been trimmed back or teased onto the trellises. The tiles gleam, freshly washed and still wet, and everything smells clean. Off to one side, the carinoux digs in one of the plant beds, making a brand new mess.
Sophie sits up as I slide into the room, her eyes widening in alarm. "Jerrok!"
I grab onto one of the trellises before I can fall on my ass and make a fool of myself. My tail lashes as I right myself. "What the kef are you doing?"
She blinks at me in surprise, tossing the wet rag into a beaten-up metal bucket full of water. "Cleaning up after Sleipnir. I told you I would." She gestures at the tile floors. "And these are so pretty it seemed a shame to let them stay dirty. This whole station could use a good cleaning, actually—"
"It's my station," I say, the words grouchier than I mean for them to be. "If I want it to be filthy, then it will be."
She just arches an eyebrow at me. "Really?"
"Really."
"So even if I'm totally bored, I can't clean up?" She gestures at the terrarium. "Even if Sleipnir made a mess while we were gone? Because you were mad over that the other day. So which is it? Do you want me to clean up after him or not?"
I clench my jaw, trying to think of an answer. Here I was, worried she was scared, and instead, she's acting like…like…like this place is her responsibility.
"Noodles are ready," I snap at her, and turn on my heel and storm out of the terrarium.27JERROKIf animals could give people dirty looks, the carinoux would be giving me one right now. Sophie eats her noodles quietly at the small table I've set up in my work area, and the creature hovers at her side, eyeing me. I'm reminded that I need to keep my tone pleasant around it, and not to reach for her or else it'll chew on my arm again. To keep busy, I pull out a disruptor shield component and a pair of tiny pliers, trying to pry out the expensive, delicate jewel-shaped heat conductors that can be re-sold. I glance over at her as I work, watching as she eats with a calm expression on her face.
"I'm sorry if I upset you," Sophie says after a few minutes of silence. "If you don't want me to clean up on the station, I won't clean up. It's just…I like having a nice place to live. I like seeing things restored to their original beauty. The terrarium is pleasant, but I thought cleaning up a little might make it more so." She offers me a timid half smile. "I'm sorry if I overstepped."
Now she's apologizing to me, and I'm the one that feels as if I messed up. I scowl down at the pliers in my hand, because I can't grip them as well as I want to. My fingers are too big and clumsy to work on the stupid component. I toss it down on the table, along with the pliers. "If you want to be helpful, pry out those shiny bits for me."
She pushes aside her half-eaten food and takes the component eagerly, giving me a shy smile as she does. "Sure."
I watch her work for a few moments, and her small fingers are quick and nimble, and she's able to pry up the small bits faster than I ever could, without needing extra guidance. She's smart, this human. I cross my arms and watch her tackle the project, trying to stay irritated at her, but it's growing more difficult by the second. She's just so…eager to please. "I don't know why you're bothering with cleaning the station," I tell her. "You don't even like it here."
