Page 124 of Every Almost

"Bad day?" Charlie asked, completely innocent. “I could help with something, if you need it.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow at her, and she watched as Charlie thought about what she'd said for a minute before...ahh, there it is. "Uh, or... maybe?—"

"You should get used to being on a spaceship first?" Reyna interjected.

"Ha!" Charlie exclaimed, her hand smacking the top of her thigh, dried batter flying off her in a dust cloud. Charlie coughed. "Yeah, I guess that would be wise, wouldn't it?"

"I think it would," Reyna replied. "But thank you for the offer anyway. We're excited to have you here all the same. In fact, I think it'll be an interesting six months for everyone."

"That is... an understatement," Charlie said, a laugh bubbling underneath her words. Reyna was glad to see that Charlie seemed to be working through her feelings about the six months of travel.

"I guess we'll just have to see," Reyna said. Charlie nodded, her smile settled into her features.

A moment went by as they looked at each other, before Reyna started for the door. "Now, go get some rest. And please, dear god, clean yourself up a bit. It smells like gluten exploded around you." Reyna stopped at the doorframe and turned back to Charlie.

Charlie looked her dead in the eye, then down at her clothes, and then back up at Reyna.

"It. Did!" Charlie quipped. Reyna barked out a laugh, one she wasn't expecting. She watched Charlie's smile like a beacon from across the room.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Reyna said. "Tomorrow will be easier." She turned back to the door. "At least, no pastries should be involved."

"I sure as hell hope not!" Charlie shouted after Reyna as she walked through the door and into the corridor.

"Goodnight, Charlie!" Reyna shouted back. She waited for a beat down the corridor a bit, but didn’t hear Charlie again, so she walked on.

"Goodnight,Captain!" Fifty paces away and Reyna laughed while shaking her head. The human was funny, she'll give her that.

Reyna made her way back toward the Med Bay, her boots marking a steady rhythm against the floor. Charliewasfunny. And kind, too.A good combination. But so far, that's reallyall she knew about Charlie. Between her sudden, and rather comical, arrival, and the orders from the Admiral, Reyna had only spent a short amount of time with her. Yet...

Kess would be waiting. She'd told Reyna the results would be ready close to three hours ago now. She doubted Kess would let that slip.

Reyna exhaled and let the quiet of the corridor settle around her. The corridors of the Emberkind were always quiet at this hour, which suited Reyna just fine, especially after the day she'd had. She had seventeen things on her command log that needed attention before the morning, and the day had started with Aetherfins in space art and ended with an Earth human in dessert.

She shook her head. Then she laughed, heartily. Because, what could she do with a day like that except laugh?

"What on the planets of Markad are you laughing so hard about?" Kess was standing at her diagnostic station with her arms crossed, markings held at their usual cool silver-blue.

"This day!" Reyna exclaimed, dropping onto a med bed again for the second time today, this time fully planning to lay down and take advantage of her ship's exquisite resources. She was the captain after all.

"Is that all?" Kess said, walking over to Reyna and looking down at her.

Reyna tilted her head at Kess. "Are you kidding me? Have you not been present for most of what occurred today? I know you've at least been privy to all of the information itself."

"Oh I've been 'privy' to a lot today, Captain," Kess quirked as she walked back to the diagnostic station. Reyna sat up.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kess whirled around back to face Reyna. "Well, you tell me. What kind of daywastoday?"

Reyna's eyes went wide. "Really? So you don't recall the Aetherfin conundrum, theseventeenreports we still have to file fromlastmonth's log," Reyna's voice dropped to a whisper. "Which you said you would help me with, by the way." Her voice returned to normal. "The fact that my Chief Engineer seems to think he'sabovecertain orders, and... oh, right... ahumanfrom Earth landed in our kitchen!"

"Another day in paradise," Kess said, turning back to the diagnostic table. Reyna glared at Kess's back.

"Sometimes, I think I need a new best friend."

"Nah, you'd never find someone as understanding as me when it comes to your... quirks."

"Whatquirks?!"