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“Ah. Right. I need maintenance.”
“Correct. You are losing much more energy than I am.”
Lily didn’t have to respond to that. She knew he was right.
She sat in the chair shaped for her, and he sat next to her in the one designed to accommodate his wings.
“Um, what do I do now?”
“Place your hand on the panel, and the food will be delivered in a few minutes.”
“Can you at least have something to drink while I eat? Food was a social activity back home.”
He smiled. “Of course, and really?”
“Yes, you have a harder time hiding ill intentions if you are facing your guests. They are also less likely to poison the meal if they are eating it as well.”
“Does your species often engage in that activity? I might think twice about setting up a colony.”
“Not really. That reasoning was something that was suggested in one of my sociology books when I was in school.” She shrugged.
“How did you manage to survive the death of your world?”
Lily stared at him. “You want to know now?”
“Yes, the description in your file is not complete.”
She looked at his curious expression. “What do you want to know?”
“What was your previous occupation?”
“I had many. My parents were a mechanic and a nurse. I started working as a late adolescent doing childcare and odd jobs. I went for secondary education and have had a few certifications, but that’s it. I just collected interests until the day my world broke.”
“Mate? Partner?”
“A decade ago. There was no one current when it all hit the fan.”
He frowned, and she explained the premise of a semi-solid striking a rotating blade. Her meal arrived, and he stroked his fingers over the table. A small plate of fruit arrived for him a minute later. He lifted and nibbled at a piece as she navigated her way through the meal the bots had dropped off. After a few months, she had gotten used to closing her eyes when she lifted food to her lips. The flavours were unfamiliar, but if she could separate the look of it from the taste, she could eat enough.
“You don’t like the look of the food?” Nebel was surprised.
Lily opened her eyes. “There has been so much new and different that my brain and body balked at food. So, I enjoy the smell and taste but have to close my eyes when I take a bite because my brain is not a fan of the colours.”
He cocked his head. “I see. Open your mouth.”
She swallowed again. “What?”
He held up a piece of fruit. “Open.”
Lily grimaced and opened. The fruit was bluish-grey and lumpy. He paused just outside her lips, and the sharp, sweet scent caught her attention. Her mouth watered. He rubbed the berry on her lower lip and then tucked it into her mouth. “Close.”
She closed her lips, and the fruit exploded. She pressed her lips together to contain it, but Nebel leaned in and kissed her. It was messy, and there was a lot of slurping, but she was definitely a fan of the berries when he finished. She also needed a new outfit.
Nebel leaned back, and his lips were blue. “Now we just need to do that for every food on this world, and you will be able to have a meal without hesitation.”
She was still catching her breath. “Uh, that seems like a lot of fuss on your part.”
He reached out and ran his thumb along her lower lip. “We have time.”
