They had hard lives, and it made them hard people. That they could be this comfortable with each other was a blessing in and of itself.
That the same comfort extended to Garnet and Goldie was actually a huge compliment.
She wished she could do more for them. They were all taking such good care of her and her sister, and had been since they arrived, all the while fully welcoming them into their circle. She felt like they deserved more from her.
Cleaning Sway’s space was a start, and one she kept doing each day to make sure it never got as bad as it was before. But what could she do for the others?
“Connection complete,” Alred announced from overhead. “You are free to depart.”
Tanin inclined his head as the door to the tunnel opened.
Rok went ahead of the others, since he was the one who had a job to do. Work came first. When the client wasn’t sending them to do illegal things and breaking contracts, they took their work very seriously. Once he was out, the others started going as well.
Goldie and Garnet hooked arms, beaming at each other, as they went with Tanin. He was going to be taking them around. He didn’t want them exploring on their own yet. As their sponsor, he was responsible for their safety, and he took that very seriously.
Honestly, Garnet wasn’t sure what she wanted more. A nice girls’ day out with her sister, enjoying the fun of an alien city, sounded great. But so did a cool, space station date with her alien situationship. It wasn’t possible to do both at once, but this was the closest she could get to either.
“So, boss,” Goldie said, looking back at Tanin. “Do we have to wait for the sponsorship to be over before you let us wander around on our own?”
“Probably not that long,” he said calmly, staying behind them because he could keep them both in his sight that way. “Once you two know how to get around on your own, you won’t need me to accompany you everywhere. Unless it’s a station I don’t consider safe. And I won’t hear argument about it. If I say you don’t go alone, you’re not going alone.”
“Yes, boss,” they intoned at the same time, giggling before they looked ahead again.
Garnet wasn’t going to fight him. If he said no, then she was inclined to agree. She trusted his judgement of a situation far more than her own. At least, until she had enough experience in Coalition space to make that determination herself.
At the end of the tunnel, they stepped out onto an entrance platform. There were six different docking tubes that let out in the same area, only four of which were in use, including their own. The rest of the guys had already left, but she couldn’t see where they had gone. Trove had made some allusion to seeking some females for a good time, but she didn’t know what the rest were up to.
The area was much nicer than Hon-Kal. Where that place had an old, grungy sort of vibe, this place was bright and airy and open. She’d compare the two as an old, run down flea market to a well-loved, profitable, mall. Trees in plots dotted the street down the center. Their tall, orange and red leaves made it look like autumn, setting a warm glow over the area as they partially blocked the lights, trying to absorb as much as possible.
Shops and restaurants lined the road, all of them open and inviting like she was walking down a city outdoor shopping center. Hosts standing outside tempted people in. There were turn offs leading into short little cul-de-sacs every so often, but the single-level structure was very simple in comparison to Hon-Kal – to its benefit, she thought.
The layout was easier to understand, it would be impossible to get lost since it was practically a straight line the entire way down, and there were signs directing traffic to whatever they wanted. They were interactive as well, so people could touch them and search for what they wanted.
The people, too, seemed happier. They were a hardier bunch on average than Hon-Kal. She saw people that looked like they were from the same species as Rok, and a lot more that were equally muscular and tough. Miners, she realized. These were the miners and their families going out and about on their shopping trip for the day.
It really was like a mall. A thought that made Garnet smile as Goldie giggled, giving her a look that told her she’d just had the same realization.
“Where to?” Garnet asked, turning to her companions for the day.
Tanin glanced at her, then at Goldie. Silently saying it was up to them. He was just their escort. They were free to do what they wanted.
Garnet smiled at Goldie. Her sister pointed down towards the right.
“Let’s check that way!”
“Okay,” Garnet nodded, the two of them walking off. She didn’t have to look behind her; she knew that Tanin was following.
But she did it anyway, so she could give him a happy smile. He had his hands casually tucked in his pockets; his knuckle claws caught right on the hem. His red ribbon was in its neat little bow around his wrist. Always ready, and it wasn’t even obvious. She crinkled her nose at him before focusing forward as Goldie drew her attention to something.
The bazaar style of Hon-Kal had been incredible, but this was equally amazing. She hadn’t noticed at first, but there were arcades here! Games of chance and skill that tempted them inside for a while as they tried their hand at a few.
They weren’t in there long, however, before the smell of something sweet and warm drew them back out. Next door, they found a candy shop that made sculptures out of sugar that were adorable little pieces of artwork it seemed an absolute shame to eat. But when they did, they couldn’t regret it, because they tasted even better than they looked.
Next to that, there was a toy store that was fascinating just because of how different it was from human toy stores. But they still had stuffed animals, and Goldie walked out with a wolf looking stuffie – but it was blue with a big, golden ruff around its neck and long saber tooth fangs. She squeezed it happily as they continued down the streets.
They passed a couple restaurants and a salon that specialized in claw care, right next to a massage parlor that promised relief from aching muscles. Perfect advertisement for the weary miners who were wandering in and out. They both got distracted by the baby store a short way down. Tiny alien baby clothes, clawing toys, teething toys, pouncing toys. It was all adorable, and the little onesies came with optional tail holes, two or four arms, and wing holes made them squeal.
The two of them cooed over the adorable baby stuff while Tanin lingered nearby. The female working there asked if one of them were expecting, and Goldie told her that they both were, and they were competing for who had the prettiest baby because the best one would get Tanin’s love permanently while the other would have to settle for no father. The poor female looked horrified, but Goldie and Garnet were laughing uproariously as they left, Tanin trailing languidly behind them. When the salesfemale had looked at him, as though begging for him to deny it, he’d simply stated that only the best offspring would deserve him as a father.
