Arlicia lifted her eyebrows. It would be an interesting planet rotation.
As they flew toward the site, Relay asked question after question about Zella.
There was quite a bit to communicate. Arlicia had been friends with the female since they had five solar cycles. While she chattered, Hoarse tucked her next to his huge form and rubbed her back and ass. His touch comforted her. She relaxed against him.
By the time they landed at the academy, Arlicia had supplied Relay with enough information to start numerous conversations. That had to be sufficient for the warrior. Zella was waiting next to the landing site when they exited the ship.
There was pigment on the expert’s full lips and dark cheeks. Her black hair was coiled tightly into intricate braids. Arlicia’s eyes widened. That care over her appearance was unusual for her no-fuss friend.
“Three of the parents are monitoring the children.” Zella avoided her gaze as she ushered them into the structure. “I have set aside a chamber for you.”
They entered that designated space. It smelled of nourishment, was brightly lit, cheery.
Horizontal supports hugged the perimeter of the chamber. Some of them were empty. Some held treats and containers of beverage. Others were decorated with dried roots, leaves and other symbols of the harvest. It was festive and fun.
Happiness filled Arlicia.
“There’s the container you sent to us.” Zella indicated the storage unit for the dolls. It appeared to be undamaged. “Would a midshift start give you enough time to set up?”
“That should be enough time.” Arlicia picked up a worn doll placed on one of the horizontal supports. “Hello, Mini Zella.” She grinned at her. “I made this for Zella when we had nine solar cycles.”
Her friend had come from a high-credit family, must have had more dolls than she could count, yet she had oohed and aahed over the painstakingly crafted gift. Arlicia had designed it to resemble Zella. And it did. A bit. It had a dark form, brown eyes, black hair.
“I didn’t have much skill at fabricating dolls then.” She showed the doll to Hoarse.
“My mother would say you had too much skill.” Zella laughed. “I wouldn’t go to sleep during rest cycles if Mini Zella wasn’t tucked into the sleeping support beside me. My mother spent many moments of her lifespan searching for her.” Her friend shook her head. “I loved that doll then, and I love her now.”
“I have to learn how to fabricate dolls.” Relay uttered that statement under his breath.
Shouting originated outside the chamber. Someone, it sounded like a little girl, screamed. Loudly. That was followed by a thumping sound.
“I have to go.” Zella stepped toward the door. “Are you okay here?”
“We’re okay.” Arlicia waved her hands. It wasn’t her first doll distribution at the academy. “Go. Deal with the chaos.”
“I’ll help you deal with it.” Relay followed her friend out of the chamber.
Arlicia waited until the door closed behind them. “I think your friend likes my friend.” She carefully set Mini Zella on the horizontal support and turned to Hoarse.
“Your friend is his female.” Her warrior grasped her wrists, drew her to his muscular form. “He would die for her, kill for her. He now lives for her.”
“You killed for me.” She tilted her head back, looking up, up, up at Hoarse’s handsome face.
“I killed for you. I would die for you.” He lowered his head. “I live for you.” He captured her lips and she hummed her approval of his words, of his embrace, of him.
Their tongues twined. The bubbling within her intensified. She gripped his body armor-clad shoulders, lifted onto the toes of her boots and ravished his mouth.
Mercy. She wanted him. Now. Again. Always.
But they had tasks to complete. She sighed against his lips. Children were waiting for their dolls.
She reluctantly pulled away from him. “Your captain’s battle station doesn’t have an open role for a doll fabricator, does it?” She laughed like she’d made a joke, wishing it was a legitimate question. “Three planet rotations with you won’t be enough for me.”
“You will have more than three planet rotations with me, my female. Much more.” Her male’s gaze locked with hers. “We’re not parting. Ever.” That was said like a vow, his tone thrillingly solemn. “And there are chambers on the battle station suitable for doll fabrication. We have access to shuttle crafts to deliver dolls to outlets, academies, other sites. If that’s not sufficient, we can—”
“That’s sufficient.” She stared up at him. “We’re not parting?”
“We’re not parting.” He kissed her again, delivering a thrillingly hard peck on her lips. “Our lifespans are now one.”
She didn’t know what the future would hold, but they would be together, and that was enough for her. It was everything. “I—”
“No!” A child, it sounded like Mins, shouted that refusal.
Mercy. They had to hurry. Arlicia looked around them. “We should arrange the dolls on the horizontal supports.”
Hoarse opened the container, handed her the dolls. She set some of them on the horizontal supports. The dolls crafted based on the images of the children would be revealed only when that specific child was choosing her or his gift.
“Some children want dolls that look like them.” Arlicia was never given that option as a child. There were no dolls that looked like her.
One planet rotation, she had complained about that lack to an expert at her academy. The expert had told her to fabricate her own doll.
She followed that advice, and that had started her on the route to becoming a doll maker. “Some children prefer dolls that are different.”
“The doll I fabricated is different.” Hoarse frowned at it.
Arlicia had displayed his doll at the front of a horizontal support. “It will be loved.” She was certain of that.
The door opened and Relay stuck his head into the chamber. “Are you ready?”
“Are we ready?” Arlicia clasped one of Hoarse’s hands.
He scanned the chamber. “We’re ready.” He nodded.
The door opened wide. Humanoid and human children ran into the chamber. They squealed with excitement as they pelted toward the horizontal supports.
“Don’t touch any of the dolls.” Zella hurried after them. Some of her hair had escaped from her braids. The pigment on her lips was smeared. “Just look at them.”
Relay matched the female’s stride. There was a hint of pigment on his lips.
Arlicia’s eyebrows lifted. That was interesting.
There was no opportunity to ask her friend questions.
The children rushed from horizontal support to horizontal support, chattering about their favorites. Their eyes were wide. Their expressions were animated, happy.
The parents supervising beamed, looking almost as excited as the children.
“There are sixty-three dolls and fifty-seven children.” Hoarse’s comment was meant for Arlicia’s hearing only. “There will be seven dolls remaining.” He stepped forward. “The doll I fabricated—”
“The doll you fabricated will be chosen.” She held onto her male’s hand, stopping him from moving farther, from retrieving it. “Trust me, warrior.”