It All Started With Magnets

.12.

I woke up with the strange feeling of, what the fuck? It had taken me some time to remember why I wasn't in my bed on the ship and why I wasn't surrounded by the familiar noises I had woken up to for the past six weeks. It had taken some time but I slowly remembered that I was in a spare bedroom, on an alien planet, after meeting an entire Galactic Union of aliens. It had seemed bizarre to me, so utterly foreign it was like my brain had convinced me it was nothing but a dream.

And then Gal'rug had burst into the room, nearly booming out if I was ready to get up for the day. Which Mare-aide had scolded him over as she yanked him from the room, chastising him for barging into her house because his key was only for emergency use. That had woken me up all the way and with a quick morning routine of changing, brushing my teeth, and everything else I made my way to start the day.

It had been decided that it wasn't exactly secure enough for me to stay in some of the temporary housing they had for visitors, Gal'rug's current place didn't have an extra room, At'kat'vo's wasn't built for anyone built like me, Hint and Liress said they would have had room but as they were expecting they had a nursery already set up. Dunnerton's place was built to the temperature he preferred and he had a lot of lights that gave off such high UV rays they had said no immediately, especially when I shrugged it off as giving me a mild sunburn. Lorilee's place was built for people her size, so it was decided I was to bunk with Mare-aide. She said she had an extra room and that we were similar enough that it would work.

She had been correct and by that time I had been so exhausted that I would have agreed to sleeping on one of the bucket chairs in the comm room. So we had gotten to her place and I had been surprised at how mundane everything looked. Pictures and paintings on the walls, couches and chairs, cabinets and counter tops, rugs and all the other mundane things you would imagine from someone on earth. Then again I hadn't really cared all that much as she showed me how to use the shower and the taps before she said goodnight and left me alone. I hadn't been too upset by that and I had dragged my ass through the shower and then fell into bed once I had my pjs on.

But now I was awake and ready and excited to start the new day. I came into the main area and Gal'rug was staring at the ilthi with a scowl on his face and his arms over his chest. "Yes it was."

"It was not an emergency! She is fine and was sleeping." She pressed her arms to her hips and her skin almost glittered slightly and I smiled.

"I was actually awake. Just trying to place where I was and what had happened. The good old brain reboot with a new place." I waved at Gal'rug and he threw me a wide grin back before turning back to give Mare-aidee a look that made me think he wanted to stick his tongue out at her.

"Still. It is bad manners." Mare-aidee said it with a huff and shook her head, her ilithari swaying slightly but mostly sticking closer to her. I wondered if that was a showing of irritation.

"You and your manners!" Gal'rug let out a snort. "By the tusks, it makes you boring!" At the words I gave half of a laugh.

"That's a bit rude, big guy." I had to admit, it was a tad rude to call her boring after she gave him a scolding for coming into her house without warning. "And on earth we generally let someone know if we are coming over." I threw him a look and he gave a huff, his flat nose scrunching. "It's only polite." I fought to keep my smile from crossing my face at how petulant he looked and Mare-aidee nodded sharply.

"Thank you, Rok-see. It is only polite. It is just after the star rise. It is early. You know it is." She waved a finger at him. "We would have let you guys know when we were coming back to check on the work." She once again put her hands on her hips and I braided my hair back as I watched them both. "I am excited as well, Gal'rug. I want to go through all of the data we transferred to learn more about her species and her planet. I am so excited I barely slept last night but I would not sneak into someone else's home." Once my hair was tied back I moved over to the main area which Mare-aidee had told me was her kitchen. I grabbed a cup and got some water before taking a drink.

Gal'rug grumbled slightly, "I didn't sneak-"

"You did so!" Mare-aidee hissed it out and I couldn't stop my chuckle as it bubbled up.

"I know it was rude but I'm a little hungry so could we head out to where we need to go or do you have some food here?" I looked at Mare-aidee and she let out a rather huffy sounding sigh.

"I do not have much for food right now. I was supposed to pick some groceries up yesterday but well, we got distracted." She patted her ilithari and I nodded before looking at Gal'rug.

"It was a little rude to sneak into try and scare me half to death." I fought to keep the smile from crossing my face at his rather affronted look.

"I did not!" He stared at me intently, looking so offended I wanted to laugh.

"No, I was awake but seriously, I would have screamed my head off if you have burst in like that when I was sleeping." He had been loud and boisterous and I could only imagine it would have triggered my fight or flight, especially considering how long it took my brain to understand where I had been. A big orc looking guy bursting in when I was sleeping would have scared the shit out of me.

"Your head does that?" He looked horrified and I couldn't help it as I cracked up. I had to set my glass down as the laughter turned to chortles.

"No, no, it's just a saying." I waved him off, trying to fight the giggles. "I would have screamed a lot because I had no clue where I was and you're rather loud." I shook my head, grinning over at the two of them. "But you should probably apologize, Gal'rug. Mare-aidee isn't happy." I had to agree with her, it was rude for him to come in without letting her at least know beforehand.

He let out a rather petulant sounding sigh. "By the tusks, you and your manners. A grog would not have cared!"

"A grog would have thrown an ax!" Mare-aidee spat it out and Gal'rug grinned with a chortle.

"Exactly." But when he looked over at me he gave what amounted to an eye roll as I crossed my arms over my chest and motioned to Mare-aidee with my chin. "I apologize for coming into your home without asking first." He muttered it out, clearly not really meaning it but I could tell she was going to let it slide as she smoothed down her clothing and gave a sharp nod.

"Apology accepted. Now let us go to the observatory. There is a lot of data to go over." She looked at me and I nodded, quickly picking up my water and finishing it before heading to the front door behind them. Another exciting day to spend with aliens. I grinned, everyone was going to lose their minds when I went back to earth.