We wander through the market, looking at the various wares and goods. There are foods and drinks, clothes and jewelry, weapons and tools, art and music. It's like a sensory overload. I don't know where to start.
Llywelyn seems to have the same problem. He's looking around with a mix of curiosity and confusion. I don't think he's been to a place like this either.
I wonder what his life was like before... well. Before he ended up with Xilukulkas.
I don't really know anything about his past. Only that something happened so that he was exiled from his own people, and at some point that led to being owned by Xilukulkas.
A Sentient somehow enslaved.
He'd implied at least once that he'd been punished with slavery for some crime... but honestly, with him... I don't know if he was telling the truth or just being contrary.
I squeeze his hand. "Hey."
He looks at me, his eyes bright. "Yeah?"
I smile. "I'm... glad you're here with me."
He ducks his head, his glow flickering brighter. "You're just saying that to get more kisses."
I laugh. "Is it working?"
"No. Wait until we're in private you insatiable..." He trails off, his eyes focusing on something behind me. His glow shifts to a cool blue, and he frowns.
I turn my head to see what he's looking at, and I'm surprised to see a stall selling what look like... little fish? I feel like I've seen them before, but at such a distance I can only see that they're fish. They're in small tanks and there are all sorts of different colors. Some are red, some are blue, some are yellow. They swim around in a slow, lazy way, their fins and tails trailing behind them. They're... kinda cute.
"Hm? What are those?" I ask, curious.
Llywelyn clicks his tongue. "Gillworgs." He says, his tone dismissive. "I'm surprised they're selling them here. It's not a common fish to sell."
"Really? They're rare?" I ask, and walk closer to the stall.
The vendor is a tall, thin being with four arms and two heads. He greets us with a smile and a bow. "Welcome, welcome! Are you interested in these beauties? They are the finest gillworgs in the galaxy, imported from the best breeders in the Core."
Gillworgs...
I hadn't known they were quite so... varied. They remind me more of koi than the ones back on the moon. The ones in that pond that he'd—
I glance over at Llywelyn and see him looking away, his arms crossed over his chest. His veins are a dim blue, pulsing slowly.
He... likes them, doesn't he? They're one of his chosen duties, caring for them on the moon.
I bite my lip. "How much are they?" I ask, turning to the vendor.
He grins and holds up one of the tanks, showing off a bright orange fish with black stripes. "This one is a male, very healthy, very strong. He's a prime breeding specimen, perfect for anyone who wants to start their own gillworg farm. I can give you a special price, just for you. Only five thousand credits."
I choke. "Five—"
"That's a steal, trust me." He says, winking at me with both of his eyes. Which would be a blink, if it weren't for the fact that I distinctly feel like he meant it to be a wink. "You won't find a better deal anywhere else."
"We'll take the lot." Llywelyn suddenly says, stepping forward. He pulls out a credit card from his pocket and hands it to the vendor. "And have them delivered to our ship."
I stare at him, shocked. "Llywelyn... are you serious?"
He looks at me with a neutral expression. "It's Master's policy. If I see gillworgs being sold, I must buy them. No matter the price. It's part of my job."
My heart sinks a little. Rather... stupidly.
It makes sense. There was just... a brief flicker of a moment where I thought he was making one of those gestures. Buying everything of something I showed interest in.
But he's far from that kind of a man.
And I'm not that kind of woman. I wouldn't want him to spend so much on something just to impress me. Even if he had his own money.
The vendor takes the card and swipes it on a device. He nods and hands it back to Llywelyn. "Thank you for your purchase, sir. The gillworgs will be delivered to your ship within the hour. Please enjoy them."
Llywelyn nods and pockets the card. He takes my hand again and pulls me away from the stall.
I frown as we walk away. "That's... a lot of money. Are you sure—"
"It's Master's money. And it's for a good cause. He'll be pleased." He says, his voice calm. "Don't worry about it."
I squint at him.
He's stingy. He complains about spending any money at all. Actually, sometimes he just complains about money. Existing. Because he's an alien communist.
And yet...
He's not complaining about this.
Maybe he really does like the fish.
I look back at the stall and see the vendor packing up the tanks. I wonder how many gillworgs we just bought. And how much they cost altogether.
I shake my head. It doesn't matter. It's not my money anyway. And I guess I have some money of my own that I can spend on whatever I want.
I look around for something else that catches my eye.
There's so much to see.
So many things I don't recognize.
So many things I want to try.
"Is there anything you want to buy, Llywelyn? For you? I have the money for it."
He looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "I don't need anything."
"You must want something." I insist.
"I'm not materialistic." He says, his tone haughty. "I have everything I need on the moon. You should learn to be less—"
"Nope. I'm human. I want things." I interrupt him, and then tug him toward a stall that sells jewelry. "How about this? Do you see anything you like?"
He glances at the display and shakes his head. "No. It's all tacky."
I roll my eyes. "Of course it is. You're so picky."
He smirks and leans in to whisper in my ear. "I picked you."
Is—is that an insult? It sounds like one. And he's going to get me all flushed if he keeps talking in my ear. He knows it. He's doing it on purpose.
I shove him away and focus on the jewelry. I spot a pair of earrings that look like seashells, with a hint of a pearlescent gleam. They're simple but pretty. I pick them up and hold them to my ears.
But...
I frown and sigh.
"My ears have closed."
"What?" The sound Llywelyn makes with that word is utterly scandalized. Probably more than a little confused. It's a tone I haven't heard before. "What—s'nilian wo' does that mean?" He steps closer to me and looks at my ears, his eyes narrowed. "They're not—are you..."
"My ear piercings closed." I clarify, putting down the earrings. "I guess I've been here long enough they just... closed up. I haven't worn earrings in..." I try to think. "Five years, maybe."
His expression flickers from understanding to something like disgust, and those ears of his flutter like he's trying to lift off. It's cute. "Ear piercing? That's... grotesque."
I laugh, and reach up to his ears. He jerks away slightly, squinting as if I could be holding a needle in my hand, before he settles and allows me to touch his ears.
They're not as thin as Xilukulkas' ears, but they do become somewhat translucent at the edges, where they become ridged and fin-like. I can imagine they'd hurt to pierce. Maybe even damage, if pierced wrong.
"Stop groping me, woman." He hisses, and his veins glow a faint bluish-purple. He's a bit... more sensitive, in this area. But I'm not sure why.
"I'm not groping you. I'm just... touching." I say, smiling. "Your ears are nice."
He rolls his eyes. "They are ears. Do you want me to go groping around your ears? Is that what you want?"
I raise a brow. "If you want to."
"You have no sense of decency." He makes no attempt to brush my hand away, though. Then he sighs. "Those are for species whose ears have decorative places to latch onto. Perhaps Master knows of ways to safely mutilate your ears again. You could ask him."
I frown. "I don't want to mutilate my ears. They're... tiny poke. Little things."
He wrinkles his nose, and then flicks my forehead with his finger. "Get them if you want. It's your money, not mine." He says, and then starts to walk away. "I'm going to get something to drink."