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It took them two hours to finish laughing and talking over an endless parade of delicacies and teas. The Nine took breakfast very seriously.

Tiera felt a little uncomfortable wearing such loose clothing when everyone around her was wearing semi-formal wear. She finally asked, “Isn’t there a version of the Nine clothing that isn’t elegant or formfitting?”

Tonos sat back and sipped his tea. “Not on the mother ship. We save casual clothing for when we are ground bound. Up here, we are all on duty whether there is an active battle or not. We dress accordingly.”

She winced. “So, my clothing choice?”

“Is not appropriate, but you are not a member of the crew and so you can wear what you wish.”

She sighed. “Is there any option for me that will keep us from touching but let me fit in a little bit more?”

He grinned, “I thought you would never ask. Come along.”

He got to his feet, pressed his fingers to the pay pad, and they walked out together.

Tiera could feel the heat of his hand against her spine, but he never actually made contact. It was frustrating and intriguing all at the same time.

They were in a commercial centre—kiosks, cafes and small shops lined the walkway.

With him herding her along, they ended up in a shop that held clothing in a vast array of configurations. “Rikkait. I need a morph suit for the new Gaian representative.”

A man made of shadows drifted forward and bowed. “I see. What sort of colouring do you have in mind? Her skin will take to almost anything dark and strong.”

When a tendril of the darkness touched her hand, she blinked in surprise. “What the hell.”

“Rikkait. Stop that, or you will infringe on my claim on her, and a challenge will be in the air.”

The tendril immediately retreated. “I apologise, Tonos, but you understand that I had to try.”

“Understood, but try it again, and you will be looking at the stars through a pierced veil of darkness.”

Tiera had to ask, “What is going on?”

Tonos moved toward her, and the shadow receded. “Rikkait was trying to see if you were a compatible female, and when I informed him of my claim, he did the polite thing and ceased his efforts.”

“I thought that after your treatment you . . .”

She lifted her hands in a helpless gesture.

“That I would no longer be affected by you? You are very mistaken. In fact, proximity to you has been wearing on my self-control since I first saw you this morning.”

Rikkait extended his shadowy arms, and a deep purple suit was draped across them. “This should fit the bill. It is one of my newest and is very flattering to anyone who wears it.”

Tonos took it from him and handed it to Tiera. “There is a changing room in the back. You can try it on in there. Rikkait will remain out here with me.”

It took all of the tricks that Ziggy had shown her last night, but she managed to do up the closures until she was in a skin-tight suit that rippled and clasped her body faithfully until it was no longer a piece of fabric but was now her second skin.

The collar was high, and all of her skin was concealed. The cuffs extended down across the back of her hand in a sort of fingerless glove. It would allow her to do everything that she needed to do without getting in her way.

With an armload of folded clothing, she returned to the front of the small shop. “I think it fits?”

Tonos had been speaking quietly when she emerged, but he fell silent and simply stared at her.

Rikkait made a small laugh. “You look lovely. Shall I have those clothes sent to your room?”

“Can you do that? I don’t even know where it is.”

She assumed that he smiled, but he pulled forth one of the ubiquitous hand pads. “Please press your hand in the centre, and I will have your address to have the clothing returned to you so that you may continue your tour.”

She handed him the clothing and shadows wrapped it as he took it behind the counter, sealed it in a bag and entered her address into the computer before placing the parcel on it and letting it slip away.

“Is the whole ship rigged like that?”

Tonos smiled and bowed for her to precede him from the shop. “More or less. All the habitation areas are linked for deliveries of that nature. Our uniforms do not have pockets and the belts that we wear are for devices relating to our work.”

She nodded and tried not to rub the surface of the fabric. “Are you sure it looks all right?”

“It looks lovely. You simply look like a crewmember on their day off.”

He smiled, and they left the shop. “Now, we will continue our tour.”

She loosened her hair, and it flowed around her, covering her breasts and her spine to mid-back. “That is a little better. I don’t feel so exposed.”

Tonos looked distinctly uncomfortable, but he smiled, “Your hair is lovely. Do you wear it down often?”

They passed a number of other couples on a promenade, and she gasped when she saw the expanse of the gardens. “Oh my.”

She processed his question and smiled. “I wear it down when I feel like I am running around naked.”

He cleared his throat. “I see. Do you like gardens?”

She smiled and walked to the railing that looked out over what appeared to be the vegetable garden. “I love gardens. I spend every moment I can in our garden growing food for the events. I almost like gardening more than cooking.”

He leaned next to her and his wings fluttered slightly. “How do you spend your evenings on Gaia?”

“We go to dances, I spend a lot of time at the library, watching vids and preparing for events. Normal stuff. What do you do on the ship?”

He leaned out to watch a person below gather a basket of tubers. “I exercise, watch the entertainment unit, go drinking with friends and I fly. The People of the Air have monthly events to gather and compete here on the ship.”

She smiled. “It sounds like a summer fair.”

“Here, it is summer all year round. It is quite a pleasant environment.”

He was smiling in the most charming manner. His wings lazily opened and closed, and she shivered as she started to catalogue the most likely sexual positions that a man with wings would have to use.

Blinking furiously, she straightened, “Shall we continue the tour?”

Tonos nodded. “Of course. Next stop is the transport pod. We will see all of the living zones that we missed on your first day. What happened there, anyway?”

They moved at a leisurely pace toward the pod and rail. “I am a little sensitive to new environments. My emotional reactions shut down, and it takes a while to process all the new information. As soon as I catch up and orient myself, I am usually fine.”

She tucked herself into the pod and smiled as he adjusted himself until his wings were settled comfortably. The pod slipped off, and in no time, they were off into the interior of the massive ship carrying thousands of warriors, their families and support staff into space.

It was a fun way to spend an afternoon, and by the end of the day, just a look from Tonos and she was wishing that the barrier against touching didn’t exist.