“Tigger?” he asks me with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, this is the baby babakotia that I found. He was wounded, the poor little one. Imprisoned in a kind of corrosive root. I freed him and looked after him. He was all happy and made a little purr like yours. He sounded like a kitten actually. I named him Tigger.”
“What is a kitten?”
“It's an irresistible little being that you can't help but caress. I can't anyway.”
“This qualifier suits you perfectly anyway,” my dark angel tells me with tenderness. “Because I can't stop caressing you either. So, you will be my personal kitten.”
His statement is so silly that it makes me laugh out loud. The laughter stops immediately as I feel his mouth resting again at the base of my neck.
Nixx
My partner delights me every day. Of course, she changes my life in many ways, but not only mine. Her interference in the kitchen has won her the support of the majority of my family.
Then she and her companions gave us a musical evening. Their little device and a small speaker, as they call it, played some really different, but catchy, rhythms and sounds in the dining room. And when the humans started dancing, several Erians joined in to imitate them. We may not understand the lyrics, but we have to admit that the songs are enjoyable.
And there are the songs that my Sarah only plays for me. The ones that speak of love and whose words she translates to me as I go along. The ones she sometimes plays during our embrace.
Yes, really, I am more than pleasantly surprised by this union. I can't say I'm not anxious, but knowing Sarah is in the Complex makes me feel better. I know she's careful and doesn't risk much here. And I like to think that she also likes the life we are building here. She even adopted a babakotia. It seems that his family didn't come to get him. So, she goes every day to feed him and take care of him. According to her, he is very big. But she is easily impressed, because an adult babakotia is not so big, even counting their long tail.
My only regret is that it seems that if Sarah has on her side piled up the knowledge to allow her to treat my people well, this one refuses for the moment to let her practice. My companion does not complain about this and says that one should not force things, that the basis of a doctor-patient relationship is trust and that this will come with time. Nevertheless, her rejection saddens her, even though she doesn't let on and it pisses me off. I'll give them a little more time before I get seriously involved.
Gregory and Udoo have almost finished connecting the plateau to the nearest tree, with a footbridge of about ten meters. This tree being virgin, will just be used as a relay to the next tree, then to another one. In four relays and two ladders with a trap door each, they will connect the plateau to the network of suspended dwellings, while maintaining security. That's fine by me. After that, my Sarah will have free access to the plateau from our house.
Eva, on the other hand, cataloged everything she could get her hands on, presenting me with the results of some of her finds. She got my approval to turn some metal rocks into oven-safe dishes. With this, Sarah and Ferdinand will teach Rajj to make cakes and quiches. I've limited my agreement to three pieces for now, not completely convinced. We'll see how it goes.
Gregory also improved the grain milling system to make fine flour, using the resources already available. He also made some improvements here and there. In short, humans are slowly finding their place. The elders of my community are the most resistant to change.
Last night saw the return of Kryll. The situation was very tense. Luckily, when he arrived, the humans had just left for bed. Only Sarah and I were left, chatting with Lokk in a corner of the dining room when Kryll arrived for the last meal.
He greeted two of his friends who must have warned him about my union, because he turned around with a look of pure hate. Without even greeting me, which is an insult in itself, he turned his back on us and went to help himself to food. He ate a slice of pizza, then a second one. As he was taking a third, one of his friends said something to him. Kryll threw the pizza back on the table and spit on it. That stinking son of a vork! Only Lokk's hand on my shoulder held me back from giving him a second look.
I took my distressed companion to our house. The sight of Kryll brought her back brutally to the first days of her arrival on Eris. It is while crying softly that she has just fallen asleep in my arms.
A slight pressure on my mind informs me that someone wants to talk to me, but without disturbing me.
“Yes, Lokk? Sarah has just fallen asleep.”
“I was just checking in. She seemed quite upset about Kryll's arrival and her behavior only made things worse once again. I was worried about her.”
“She was shocked indeed. Kryll's absence from our walls for over three weeks only delayed a problem we knew we would have to deal with at some point. Could you please warn the humans and assign Kurr temporarily to their discreet protection?“
“I do that. Good luck to your partner. She is a good person, generous and kind. She is good for you. She is good for all of us, I would say.”
“See you tomorrow at the first meal and good night to you.”
