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1
BEE
"Thank you for seeing me, sir." I give First Rank Novis a cheery smile as I stare up (and up and up) at him. The mesakkah guardsman looks very severe. His horns are capped with plain metal, his face is all disapproving blue angles, and his hair is slicked back and tied in a tight knot at the base of his skull. Even his uniform is plain. It's black, with one insignia that I think is Lord va'Rin's personal symbol, but other than that and the squiggles on his shoulder that denote his rank, he could be a janitor. The mesakkah favor plain, functional clothing, and so does this guy. Doesn't matter. I give First Rank Novis my sweetest look. His title's a little weird, but I suspect it's something like a space version of a sergeant. Judging by the stiff demeanor, I think I'm right. I do my best to look darling and helpless and human. "But I was really hoping to speak to Lord va'Rin. Riffin said—"
The starchy-looking officer clasps his hands behind his back and frowns down at me, the horns on his head making him seem downright intimidating. It's been years and I'm still not used to the sheer size of the blue mesakkah. On Earth I was short, at just an inch under five foot, but here I'm positively squat. I'm a footstool. A cute, fluffy little human footstool that no one takes very seriously. Including First Rank Novis. He gazes down at me as if I'm a pesky fly bothering him. "Lord va'Rin is very busy."
"Well, yes, I know. Goodness, aren't we all?" I chuckle at my own joke. "But I really do need to see him. It's about a job." I smooth my hands down my nicest tunic (which really isn't all that nice) and resist the urge to thread my fingers through my curls. "Riffin said that he could get me in to see you, and that you could pass my message on to Lord va'Rin and his lovely wife."
My—boyfriend? Sure, we'll call him boyfriend—Riffin would probably be upset to know I keep reminding his senior officer that it was his idea for me to talk to his superior. Even now, Riffin stands just outside the office and I can only imagine what he's thinking. Silly, soft Bee getting another idea in her head. But I know this is a good one, and that's why I'm here today instead of at the laundry center, washing a jillion sheets for people with loads more credits than me.
So I keep smiling, because I know I'm right, and you can win a lot more people with a smile than a frown. I'm banking on the fact that mesakkah find humans absolutely adorable—like puppies, except uh, some of them want to fuck us, so I guess not exactly like puppies after all. Doesn't matter. I'm banking on being cute. I'd flutter my lashes if I wasn't worried it'd come across as weird.
"Human female, we do not have the time for requests right now," he practically snarls at me. "We have over a hundred new arrivals that must be processed, along with some cases that require special handling. You should go and tend to your farm and be thankful Lord va'Rin cares for humans at all."
Right. The downside of looking adorable and small is that no one takes you seriously. "I don't have a farm, sir. Allergies." I put a finger on the tip of my nose and wiggle it. "There's something in the soil here that makes me break out in hives, but I'm fine if I stay in town. I'm actually a laundress." If my mother knew that all of those years of college debt were going to end up with me doing alien laundry, she'd probably need to lay down. It's not like I chose it. I'm just rolling with the punches. I decide to roll right into my request, since dancing around it isn't going to get me anywhere. "So let me tell you why I think Port needs a social worker for the humans and why I should be that person."
"Not today," First Rank Novis says. He picks up a data pad off his desk, tucks it under his arm, and then heads out of his office as if we weren't right in the middle of a conversation. Rude.
I follow after him, determined to get my say. I pass by my boyfriend—Riffin—who frowns at me as his supervisor sweeps past. He frowns even more when I trot after Novis and begin speaking. "I realize you're a very busy man, er, alien, First Rank Novis. Riffin says that you've been tasked with handling a lot of the initial settling of the humans, and that's where I think you need me."
He snorts, marching down the hall. His tail flicks once and he looks over his shoulder at Riffin, who is following behind with a worried look on his face. "I have only told her the basics, sir. Nothing secret. I would never compromise the security of this place." Riffin grabs my arm, but I jerk free and continue after them. "The human—"
