To Be Honest (MxM) (18+)

Chapter 6: Welcome

TW: Small mention of a presumed body at the end

Chapter 6: Welcome

Over the next several days, I fall into a routine. I stand and eat with everyone else for meals, and work on collecting trash for most of the day. After all, there's a lot of build-up over time.

Once I've gathered up the actual trash, I sort of just roam the ship with the broom, cleaning up as I go. It's fun, getting to wander around such a large ship. I'd never been on one before, so seeing just how many rooms there are was a bit astounding.

I also discover some random trinkets behind crates that I moved to clean behind, or under piles of discarded clothing I collected. Names etched into crates, or on the wooden walls. Dates. Broken goggles, a cracked game board and a handful of pieces. There's enough that I end up creating a small pile on top of one of the crates, to sort through later and ask around about. While the stuff I find all looks pretty old, it could have been lost by someone still on the ship, and they might want it back.

If not, I had some interesting collectibles to look at and examine. To guess at the people that owned them, or what they meant. A majority of it looks worthless, at least from a monetary standpoint. But the monetary value is hardly interesting, anyway.

I lean closer to the wall to peek at a rather large carving while I sweep up the floor. It catches my attention more than the others, as there's still a bit of a broken knife blade wedged into the wall, as if had snapped on the last character.

-Simone Rogers, 18-

I wonder how he ended up here. Doing what he does. And how long he's been here. I put the crates back once I've finished cleaning. It's more difficult to put them back than it had been to move them out, but I manage after a bit of struggling. I grab the broom once more and turn, expecting to simply go clean somewhere else. I certainly don't expect to find Sally standing directly behind me when I turn, nor do I expect her to just be...staring at me.

"Simone wants me to give you new clothes. I've let you clean long enough, take a break so he'll stop complaining about your clothes being basically rags," Sally grabs my wrist and pulls me along, back to the cabin we're sharing before I really process what she'd said. "Hmm...The closest person on board to your build is Ciden, but he's much broader than you, so his clothes wouldn't fit you well. They'd be too big, which would probably be a nuisance to your cleaning. I think your build is close to Sunlia. In that case, I should have some clothes to spare." Sally turns to dig through the trunk shoved up against the wall. "Hmm. You definitely don't need that." She sets aside some undergarments, made of delicate lace that forms intricate floral patterns.

"Those seem...expensive," I say, chuckling awkwardly. What else can I say, really? I'd just seen her or her girlfriend's lingerie.

"Only the best for my Sunny." She grabs something out of the trunk, then turns to me. "Here. A new tunic. It should fit you fairly well."

I take it, thanking her, and she just...stares at me. "Uh..."

"Try it on."

"Oh...Uh...could you...step out?"

"Over your shirt."

I blush a little. Stupid. "Oh...Duh." I quickly pull on the tunic, lacing it up at the top. It's a bit form-fitting at the waist but a little loose at the chest. But it actually fits better than my old one, and it's clean and undamaged, which is a major plus. "You're sure I can have it?"

"Yeah. Sunny won't miss it. I don't have any pants on hand, though. Unless you fancy wearing a lovely skirt."

"The shirt's enough. Thank you."