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Given the size of the training centre, complete with a climbing wall, Zari had higher expectations about the number of bedrooms on the Waverider. But some of the bedrooms were closed, locked, and stayed unmentioned. When Zari asked about them, Behrad kicked her under the table, and Sara looked at her like she brought Mithra into the kitchen.
After five seconds of complete silence, Ray spoke. “There are certain rooms that will not be recycled. They’re-” he glanced to Sara and Mick. “They’re used to store meaningful items and a few dangerous weapons, in honour of the legends who’ve given their life for history.” He looked at Sara, whose fingers ran around the rim of her glass of water. “Or those who have left us.”
Her gaze moving from Ray to Mick, who was stabbing at his dinner with extra anger. “So I can’t have my own room because your friends died or left?”
In a flash, Sara’s hand was wrapped around her knife, and Behrad kicked Zari under the table again. “Z, it’s time to change the topic.” He raised his eyebrows in a clear message. Unless you want to your cause of death to be Sara with the knife at the dinner table.
After dinner, Zari went to see Sara. She did not want to be kicked off the ship for pushing too hard. “Can I come in?” She leaned against the doorway, fingers tapping against the metal.
Sara looked at Zari as she poured a glass of scotch. “Okay. Want a drink?” She asked, gesturing with the glass.
Raising an eyebrow, Zari asked, “You have spent the last couple years with Behrad right?”
“Yeah?”
“So haven’t you learnt that we don’t drink by now?”
Glancing down at her glass, Sara sighed. “Sorry, I swear I know. Just…” She rubbed her forehead. “My medication’s worn off.”
Zari shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs, watching Sara move to the other one. “Fair. Anyway, uh.” Without thinking, she reached for the spiky wooden ball on the table and started toying with it. “I’m sorry for bugging you about the room situation, it’s clear that the dead legends and the lost legends are close to your heart.”
“Yes.” Sara sipped her drink before she looked at Zari. “Look, Z, I get your point. I know that the way we handle things isn’t the best way to deal with it. But most of us don’t mind roommates, and when we’re ready we will clear out those rooms.”
The way Sara was so open about their mistake, telling her about their coping, it scratched at Zari’s conscience. “That’s fair.” She watched the pain behind Sara’s blue eyes subside ever so slightly. “Do I get to pick a roommate?”
A twinge in Sara’s shoulders showed that she wasn’t ready to move her mind from her lost loved ones. “That depends. Who would you want to bunk with?”
“Well… Charlie seems fun.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Sara smirked.
“So, Charlie, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows.
Crossing her arms, Zari said, “so is that a yes or will I be stealing your bed tonight?”
“You say that like I would have a problem with you in my bed.” With a smirk, Sara sipped her drink.
“If I may interrupt.” Ava appeared in the doorway. “As much as I agree with Sara, there really is no space for another person in our bed.” After smiling at Zari, she left the room.
“She’s right,” Sara admitted. “I sleep like a starfish. But, if you want to bunk with Charlie, you’ll have to ask her.” After seeing Zari’s eyes widen, she added, “don’t worry I’ll stick around.”
“Fine. I can do that.” She lifted her eyes to the ceiling, as everyone did when there was no panel in sight and they spoke to Gideon. “Gidget, can you please ask Charlie to join us in the captain’s office?”
A moment later, Gideon said, “Your message has been sent. Charlie is on her way.”
“What’s up, cap? Dragon girl?” Charlie walked up the steps, her curly hair braided back with lime green strings today.
In a silent gesture, Sara lifted her glass.
“Yeah, I’ll have some. So why’d you call me into your office?” She sat on the arm of Sara’s chair as her eyes followed Sara.
Once she had poured Charlie a glass, Sara nodded to Zari. “Z has a question for you.”
“Oh yeah? What’ll it be, hot stuff?” A smirk appeared on her lips while Sara handed her a glass, then sat back down in her chair. In a gesture of utter comfort, Sara leaned her elbow on Charlie’s thigh.
“Since I’ll be staying for a bit longer, I need a place to sleep.” Zari continued to fidget with the odd spiked ball. “I was wondering if you’d be cool with being roommates?”
In the back of her mind, Charlie could hear the vine. “Roommates, huh?” The teasing tone earned her a jab of Sara’s elbow.
With a tilt of her chin, Zari held her head high. “Yeah.”
“Yeah, a’ight. Let’s do it.”
After she finished her drink, Charlie led Zari to her room. It was oddly tidy, for someone who radiated so much chaotic energy.
“Your decoration is on brand,” Zari said as she looked around the room. Guitars and posters covered most of the wall, apart from a large mosaic of art pieces, all of them depicting Charlie. They didn’t all look like Amaya, or, well, Charlie’s Amaya. But all of the pieces radiated Charlie’s energy. “Where did you get all these?” Her manicured fingers hovered in front of the art.
Flopping down on her bed, Charlie bent down to remove her boots. “I make it a point to support struggling artists by buying commissions.” Placing the boots neatly near the foot of her bed, Charlie smiled. “One of the few constancies of life is art.”
“That’s really beautiful.” Zari slowly admired every art piece until she was looking at the legends. The team from when Charlie was starting to find her place. Mick, Ray, John, Ava, Nate, Behrad, Nora, Mona, and Sara. In the middle, with the widest grin she’d ever worn, was Charlie. “This one is my favourite,” Zari decided. She turned back to Charlie who, without her boots, walked like a cat and was standing right behind her. “Oh.” The word came out as a whisper, as she felt Charlie’s breath on her skin.
“Hi.” Charlie winked. “That one is one of my favourites too. I’ve already asked for a new one for our new team.”
Without Charlie’s eyes on her, Zari slowed her racing heart. “So, uh.” She moved to the middle of the room.
“Which bed do you want?” Charlie turned and gestured to both. “I don’t have a preference, I assume you want to change the sheets either way.”
Zari eyed the cotton sheets, both black. On one of the beds, they were covered in stars. The other had a different vibe, depicting what Zari had to assume was the tree of life, like in Norse mythology. The intricate weaving of soft green leaves and brown branches called to Zari. Her ghost Tomaz was shoving her in that direction, telling her she had a connection to nature. “The one with the tree.” She waved her hand to the bed against the right wall.
Bumping her hip against Zari’s, Charlie smiled. “Sounds good, babe. Wanna go get some new sheets?”
Before she realised what she was doing, she wrapped an arm around Charlie’s waist. “Yes. But I want the same design. That tomboy version of me says we like trees.”
A wide smile on her lips, Charlie led Zari to the fabrication room. “From what I’ve heard, that’s about Amaya. The nature girl Sara often talks about, with the spirit totem.”
At the name, Zari’s totem glowed briefly. She lifted her wrist so Charlie could see it.
“Everyone’s at least a little bit in love with Amaya.”