I am going to kill that fishman.
I have decided this.
And I will enjoy it.
I stalk through the halls, my dress billowing behind me, my fists clenched. I'm looking for him, and when I find him, I'm going to strangle him.
How dare he.
How dare he do this to me!
I turn a corner, and there he is. Standing in front of a door, talking to someone. I don't care who it is. I march up to him, and grab his arm, yanking him away.
"Hey!" He protests, trying to pull free. "S'nilia wo'?! What are you doing, Human?"
"You!" I snarl, pulling him into the nearest empty room. I push him against the wall, and he lets out a yelp.
"Violent, violent woman! What nishi'an wo'-"
"You!" I repeat, poking him in the chest. "You did this! You!"
"I did what?!" He demands, his eyes wide, his collar flashing blue. "I haven't done anything to you!"
"Oh, yes you did!" I hiss, and hold up the piece of paper in my hand. It's a note. A note that was left on my door this morning. A note that says:
Sarah,
I am delighted to hear that you have volunteered to clean the aquacave. I have given you full access, and you may begin at your leisure. Please be careful, as the cave is slippery and wet.
Sincerely,
Xilukulkas
I shake the paper in his face.
"Oh, that." He sniffs. "That's Xilukulkas' handwriting. I had nothing to do with this."
"You told him!" I accuse him. "You told him I wanted to do this!"
He crosses his arms, and looks away. "I may have mentioned it."
"You...! You...! Nishi'an...!" I curse, using one of the words he always uses.
"That is. Not. How you use that." He scolds. "And stop grabbing me! You'll wrinkle my clothes!"
I let go of him, and step back, fuming. "Why? Why would you do this?"
"Because it's my most hated job and I needed a replacement." He says, as if it's obvious. "And you said you wanted a job, so..."
"Well. Xilukulkas is extra excited! That you! Volunteered to join me!" I inform him.
"Excuse me?"
"Yes! I told him. That you would help me. Since you are the one who got me into this!"
He gapes at me, and his collar turns blue. "You didn't."
"I did." I smirk, crossing my arms. "Have fun cleaning the aquacave with me, fishboy."
"You... you...! You wretched, deceitful, cunning, vile-!"
"Are those supposed to be insults? Because they sound like compliments."
He growls, and turns around, stomping towards the door. "I'm not doing this with you. I'll tell Master that you've lied-"
"And then I'll do the same." I say, sweetly. "And we'll see what he thinks of you wasting his precious time, and resources."
He stops, and glares at me over his shoulder. "You. Hetchki." He spits, his veins pulsing angrily.
"Hetchki right back at you."
He stiffens. "That isn't for men-"
"It's for this man." I retort, and he makes a noise of pure frustration.
"You are the most impossible woman I have ever met!" He shouts, and then storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
I smile, and tuck the note into my pocket.
If he didn't want a war, he shouldn't have started it.
The person he'd been speaking to peeks out from around the corner. It's a woman, with long, curly hair, and a dress made of feathers. She smiles at me. "Is it safe to come out now?"
I blush, and cough. "Uh. Yeah. Sorry about that."
She laughs, and walks into the room. "It's not the first time I've seen Llywelyn get in trouble. He's always been a bit... difficult."
I nod, and then pause. "Wait, who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Staroepaskim." She says, and curtsies. "I'm one of the singers here. I perform for Master sometimes."
"Oh." I say, not sure what to make of that. "I'm Sarah."
"I know. Everyone knows. You're the new one." She smiles. "You're quite loud."
"Uh-"
"I don't think that's bad. It's fun. I like it." She says, and then giggles. "You're cute."
"Eh-what?!" I blink at her.
"You are. You're so small, and feisty, and you have these little dots on your face..." She reaches out, and touches my cheek, and I flinch. "Oh, don't be scared. I just want to see what they are..."
"F-freckles?" I squeak. They're. Barely even visible. I wouldn't even count them as existing. It's just a few light brown specks on my cheeks.
"They're adorable." She says, and then pulls her hand back. "And your hair. It's so fluffy. Can I touch it?"
"I... uh... I guess?" I say, confused. This woman. Is very touchy. And she's making me... feel weird.
She squeals, and runs her fingers through my hair, making a happy sound. "It's so soft! And shiny! How do you get it like that?"
"I... don't. It's just... natural." I say, trying not to blush.
"Wow. I wish I had hair like that. Mine is so coarse and boring." She pouts, and lets go of my hair. "But yours is perfect."
I don't know what to say. I've never been complimented like this before. I mean, I've been told I'm pretty, or cute, or whatever, but never with such... enthusiasm. And never by a stranger.
Especially not one that insists on touching everything she compliments. I'm not used to it, and I don't know how to respond. So I just smile, and try to change the subject.
"Uh... so. You sing, huh?"
She nods, and her expression turns serious. "Yes. It's my duty. I sing for Master, and for his guests. It's an honor, really. I'm grateful for it."
"Oh. That's... nice." I say, not knowing what else to say. I don't know anything about singing. Or music. Or art. Or anything like that. "Do you... like it?"
"I love it." She says, her eyes sparkling. "It's the only thing I'm good at. The only thing I have. I was born to sing, Sarah. I'm the only one of my species in ten generation who can sing. My parents were so proud of me. And I was so happy to be chosen by Master. He gave me a home, a purpose, a voice. He saved me." She places her hand on her chest, and her voice wavers. "I owe him everything."
"Oh." I say, feeling a bit awkward. I don't know how to relate to that. I don't feel grateful to Xilukulkas. I don't feel saved. I feel... complicated.
I suppose...
Maybe I should feel grateful on some level, given it's not as if he's the reason I was captured, and he's plainly right that I'd be dead now if not for him.
But.
I don't.
And I don't want to lie to her.
"Sorry." I mumble. "I... I'm still... adjusting. To everything."
She smiles, and pats my shoulder. "It's okay. I understand. It must be hard for you. You're so far from home. But don't worry. You'll find your place here, just like I did. And you'll be happy, too."
I nod, and try to smile. "Yeah. Maybe."
I don't want to.
Not to find my home here.
Certainly not to be happy here.
But there's no point dampening this woman's mood with that. I already startled her and stole her conversational partner.
She grins, and then claps her hands. "Oh, I know! Why don't you come watch me? I'm going to sing for the newborn stars tonight!" She says, excitedly. "It's a tradition. We sing for them, to welcome them to the galaxy. It makes them very happy."
"It... does...."
Stars. Happy? That sounds...
But I don't want to say that.
"Oh, yes! They love music. They always shine brighter when we sing for them. It's so beautiful!" She says, and then grabs my hand. "Come on! I'll introduce you to the others. We're rehearsing right now."
I don't have a chance to protest. She drags me out of the room, and down the hall, to a large auditorium. There are other people there, some of them familiar, some of them not. They all look up when we enter, and smile at us.
"Hi, everyone!" Staroepaskim says, waving. "This is Sarah. She's going to watch us sing tonight!"
"Hi, Sarah!" They chorus, and I wave back, feeling overwhelmed.
I don't know how to handle this much... friendliness.
I guess it's better than getting electrocuted.
But it's a lot of... socializing.
I'm just not good at this.
"Sit down, sit down." Staroepaskim says, pushing me towards a chair. "We'll start soon."
I sit, and watch as they all gather in a circle, holding hands. They look... focused. Serious. They take their positions, and wait for a signal.
Staroepaskim turns to me, and smiles. "Ready?" She whispers.
I nod, and she turns back to the others, and nods.
And then they sing.
And it's...
It's...
I don't know.
It's not like anything I've ever heard before. It's not like human singing. It's not like any music I've ever listened to. It's... different.
Their voices are... harmonious, but not in a way that I can describe. They blend, and contrast, and complement each other, in ways that make no sense to me. It's chaotic enough that I'm inclined to say it's unpleasant but, the more I listen the less I think that's the case. It's like a symphony of chaos. It's not a song that's sung in tune, so much as a set of sounds that are made at the same time.
Honestly, it's a struggle to describe it at all. It makes me feel... things. Things I can't name. Things I've never felt before.
But I listen. I listen, and I'm entranced. Captivated. Moved.
And I wonder... maybe the stars do like it.
If anything someone sang could make the stars happy, it'd probably be this.
It's only as the singing finishes that I realize there are tears on my face. I'm crying. And I don't know why.
Staroepaskim walks over to me, and sits down next to me. She takes my hand, and squeezes it. "You liked it, huh?" She asks, smiling.
"I... don't really know what to think."
I wince a little, as soon as I say it. But it's true. I don't know what to make of it. It's... beautiful, but also unsettling. It's... I don't know.
She laughs, and claps her hands. "That's what everyone says! But you'll get used to it. You'll love it. I promise."
I nod, and wipe my eyes. "I guess. Yeah."
I'll try.
It's something to focus on, at least.
"Great! Then you'll come tonight, right? You have to! It'll be amazing!" She says, her eyes shining. "And you can bring Llywelyn."
"I don't think that man will talk to me for at least three days..."
"Hmm. I think he will." She says, confidently. "You'll see. He likes you."
I blink. "You. And I. Know two different Llywelyns." I can't imagine Llywelyn liking anyone. He barely tolerates Mira, and they've been roommates for years and she doesn't have a single malicious bone - or rock - in her body.
She definitely has never intentionally pissed him off.
"Oh, he does. I can tell." She winks, and stands up. "Trust me. He'll be there."
I sigh, and stand up, too. "If you say so. But don't blame me if he doesn't."
She giggles, and leads me out of the auditorium. "I won't. Now, let's go get some lunch. I'm starving."
I follow her, feeling a bit dazed. I don't know what's going on. I don't know what to expect. But I guess... I'll find out tonight.
And perhaps I'll get to see what it means for a star to be happy.