Chapter Text
As much as Krel enjoyed spending long hours tinkering with his numerous inventions, the wormhole posed a challenge unlike any he had faced before. Krel basically had to discover new laws of physics. After eight hours of working with no breaks, his brain numbly refusing to continue thinking, Krel left the lab in search of food.
When he emerged through the fireplace, he saw Aja sitting on a stool in the kitchen, swiveling her lower half while her upper half draped across the kitchen island as she typed on her phone. Three guesses who she’s texting, he mentally joked, grabbing a glass from a cabinet and filling it with water.
One glass of water and one peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his top hands, Krel sat on the stool next to her. Aja acknowledged his presence by asking, “How’s the wormhole coming along?”
Krel rested his forehead on the cool ceramic island top. “I’m so stuck that I’d have an easier time escaping from an exogorth pit.”
Looking away from her phone, Aja rubbed his back. “That bad, huh?”
“Going in, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but sometimes I wonder if wormhole travel has remained hypothetical for a reason.”
“Krel,” Aja said, gripping his shoulder, her tone comforting and confident. Krel didn’t lift his head off the counter, but he did turn it to look at her. “You are the smartest person I know, and probably the smartest person in the galaxy. I know you can figure this out, but you need to be gentle with yourself. What’s the human saying? ‘You don’t roam in a day?’”
Though Krel wasn’t sure if she messed up the phrase on purpose – though he didn’t really know it either – he breathed a laugh. Both from the joke and from how much Aja had matured since the day of the coup. With her always running away, especially from her coronation, Krel assumed that he would take over as sole ruler over Akiridion-5 while Aja joined a band of space pirates, chasing the action and adventure she could never get in the palace. But here, on this mudball planet, as she comforted Krel, he could only think, She’ll make a wonderful queen one day.
“Close enough,” he replied, then changed the subject. “How did your warrior training go today?”
Aja’s eyes widened and her body grew brighter – literally. Intense emotions made their cores radiate more light. “It was so lively! Varvatos taught me how to redirect an opponent’s weapon away while stabbing them at the same time! Do you want me to teach you?”
Finally picking his head up off the counter, Krel grabbed his sandwich. “Maybe some other time,” he replied, then took a bite. Then another. Then another. In less than a minute, his sandwich disappeared.
Staring with raised eyebrows at the empty space in his hands, Aja commented, “That was fast! Maybe you can join one of those food eating contests.”
Krel was about to reply with something snarky, he was sure, when Aja’s phone rang. “Ugh, the Palchuk?” he complained.
“It’s not Steve, he’s on a camping trip with the Eli.” Krel felt the corners of his mouth twitch down. Which was silly because Steve and Eli were friends before Krel and Eli, yet Krel felt something flare in his chest. Aja continued, “It’s Mary. She’s FaceTiming me.”
Krel rolled his eyes. Mary video calling meant both Tarrons would have to change into their human forms, or Krel would have to get up from his stool. But the cushion felt so soft and encompassing. So, they both switched forms with their serrators before Aja answered the call.
“Hey girl!” Mary yelled immediately, her face taking up the entire screen.
“Hi Mary! What’s up?”
“What are you doing tonight?”
“Nothing, why?”
“Wanna come over for a girls’ night sleepover? Darci, Shannon, and Connie are also coming.”
Aja hesitated. “I’ve never been to a ‘sleepover,’ what does that entail?”
On Aja’s phone, the image of Mary shook. “What? You’ve never been to a sleepover? It’s, like, a sacred tradition for girls our age. There’ll be face masks, nail polish, lots of unhealthy snacks, movies, games and gossip! Also, do you have a sleeping bag?”
Aja looked at Krel, who shrugged back at her. First there’s beds for sleeping, now bags? Humans had something for every scenario. Except for making wormholes, of course.
Aja’s confusion must’ve been evident through the screen, because Mary said, “I have some extra blankets and pillows you can use.”
“Thank you.”
“So, are you coming tonight? I’m about to order pizza, which should get here around six o’clock, so you can show up any time around then.” That meant Aja had thirty minutes to convince Varvatos and Zadra. And thirty minutes until Krel would have to find something to do for the rest of the night. With Steve and Eli camping, Seamus at space camp, and Toby visiting family out of town, that limited Krel’s options. He could probably keep working on the wormhole again, but the thought made him dizzy.
Aja’s answer broke through his thoughts. “Yes, I will attend this girls’ night sleepover. Is there anything I should bring?”
“Not really? I’ve got everything just about covered, but wear something cute and comfy. Don’t even think about wearing that flannel outfit tonight.”
Looking down at said flannel outfit and back up to her screen, Aja pouted. “What’s wrong with it? Is it not ‘cute?’”
Mary rolled her eyes. “It’s fine, but you wear it every day. Change it up a little! I’ve already got my PJs picked out.”
“Alright. I’ll wear something else. See you soon!”
“Bye!” Mary squealed, dragging the word out longer than Krel thought necessary.
Finally, Aja ended the call and jumped off the stool, then turned to Krel. “Krel, can you alter my clothes on my human form? You heard Mary – I need new clothes.”
“Mother can alter your transduction.”
“I would ask Mother, but I need the clothes loaded into my serrator too, just in case. Please? I’ll do anything.”
“Break up with Steve?” Krel joked.
Eyes narrowed and head tilted, Aja put crossed her top arms while putting her bottom hands in fists on her hips. “Anything other than that,” she replied, her tone exasperated with a hint of humor.
“Fine, I’ll do it. But I’ll think of my reward later.”
She hugged him with all four arms and pulled him off his stool. “Thank you, thank you! You’re the best genius brother anyone could ask for!”
Chuckling, Krel escaped from her grasp. “Alright, alright. That’s enough of that.” He held out his hand. “Anything in particular you have in mind?”
Aja handed over her serrator, then began scrolling on her phone. “Hang on, let me see.” A few more seconds of scrolling. “Lively! What about this?” She turned her phone screen to show Krel a picture of a woman wearing black joggers, a white crop top, and a gray sweater.
Krel studied the image, then began to code the outfit into Aja’s serrator. “Any modifications to the outfit? Color changes, anything like that?”
“Can you make the shirt blue? I think that would be ‘cute.’”
After making the final adjustments, Krel returned her serrator and stepped back. “See what you think.”
With the press of a button and a burst of light, Aja’s human form replaced her Akiridion form, though this time she wore the outfit previously described. “Ooh, this is so lively! Thank you Krel!” Despite being in her human form, she still managed to wrap him in a crushing hug.
“You should know, I programmed the sweater to be removeable, so you can take it off if you get too warm. Also, your form with your other outfit is still encoded into your serrator, so be careful which human form you choose.”
In the living room, Varvatos and Zadra emerged from the fireplace. Zadra noticed Aja’s outfit change first. “What is going on?”
“Mary invited me to a girls’ night sleepover,” Aja answered, finally releasing Krel.
“Is this anything like the last ‘sleep over’ you attended? You know, the one where you went to the moon?” she asked, one eyebrow raised. Next to her, Varvatos scratched the back of his neck.
Shrugging, Aja rolled her head to look at the ceiling, as if rolling her eyes wasn’t enough. “No, that was different. This is a girl’s night, a sacred human tradition where we watch movies and paint nails! Please, I have to go.”
Zadra looked ready to shoot the idea down, but Varvatos spoke first. “You may go to this sacred tradition. But under one condition!” He paused, as if for dramatic effect. “You must take the prince-in-waiting with you.”
Both Tarron siblings exclaimed, “What?” simultaneously.
Krel whined, “Did you not hear? It’s a girls’ night. And I am not a girl.”
“Not with that attitude,” Varvatos replied, stern and stubborn as ever.
“But these are my friends,” Aja protested. Normally, Krel would feel excluded, but he had no desire to spend all night with Aja’s friends. Specifically Mary. “And besides, Mary might not have enough blankets or pillows for both of us.”
At that moment, the holographic form of Mother appeared. “That won’t be a problem, my royals,” she said, as a pile with a fuzzy blanket and pillow appeared at each of their feet.
Krel and Aja groaned, “Thanks, Mother.”
“I agree with Varvatos,” Zadra said, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “There is safety in numbers. Remember, you still have bounties on your heads.”
Glancing over at Aja, Krel found her gazing at him, a contemplative look on her face. His face probably looked the same. The change of scenery might be the reboot his brain needs to keep working on the wormhole. At best, it could be fun. At worst, he could sit on a corner and scroll on his phone until he falls asleep.
“Alright, I’ll go,” Krel said, and Aja nodded at him. After triggering his transduction, he leaned over to pick up his sleepover pile when Aja stopped him.
“Aren’t you going to change your clothes too?” she asked.
“Aja, I don’t have time to find a new outfit and code it into my serrator. I’ll be fine.”
The contemplative look returned, but this time with a hint of mischief. “Well, you already have the code for my outfit, right?”