It was a fun combination of pre-made and tailor-fitted clothing. Since this was an intergalactic trading hub, there were many different species that came through here, and all of them came in different shapes and sizes, with varying numbers of limbs, and different ideas of fashion. They couldn’t just have small, medium, large when there were mountains like Rok that had four arms and chests the size of a barge shopping alongside little females like Garnet and Goldie or even other species that had wings or tails or spikes down their backs. Everything had to be, at least slightly, customized.
However, tailoring clothing was also orders of magnitude easier here than it was on Earth.
Garnet and Goldie picked a bolt of fabric, explained what they wanted, and the family of five used these little handheld things to cut and join pieces of fabric into the shape they needed. They also added seals onto the cloth. It functioned like a zipper. When they pressed the button, it caused the two ends of the fabric the seal was pressed into to fuse together, closing it around them. It was done in minutes, a while you wait kind of thing, and the family of craftsmen were efficient.
They spent most of their budget there. They needed everything. Underwear, warm clothes, cool clothes, casual clothes, working clothes. The only thing they didn’t really get was formal wear, but it wasn’t like they’d have much occasion to wear such things anyway. Garnet did find one nice dress. It was simple, with little straps for the shoulders, a thin belt at the waist, and only going halfway down her thighs. But it was the same red as Tanin’s eyes, and she was unreasonably excited watching that one get tailored to her body size.
Thanks to the sale of the gems, they had more than enough credz to get everything they needed and still had plenty leftover. Even when Tanin brought them to a specialty stall and spent quite a bit buying them space suits, they still had more than enough.
The space suits were standard equipment on ships. In case of a hull breach, if you didn’t die immediately, you could wear the suit and it would keep you safe for a time. They didn’t have any on the Humility that would fit Garnet and Goldie. And the suits they did have, like everything else, was cheap and secondhand.
However, the new ones Tanin bought were not only new, but fancy enough that they’d even be comfortable when worn – a luxury, Trove laughed, that the guys’ suits didn’t have. Their life support was more advanced, and they could survive a full tenday in them without issue. The only problem would be needing to use the bathroom or eating – both of which required opening the suit.
But they weren’t really made for long term use, only emergencies, so it was exactly what Tanin was looking for.
After that purchase, they still had enough for her and Goldie to pick up whatever little things here and there caught their attention. Goldie bought a datastick that included all the information she needed for the medications they had stored in medbay, including how and when to use them. She also got new shoes, ribbons for her hair, a pretty mirror that looked like it was inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and a necklace with a rough yellow crystal on the end.
Garnet also bought new shoes, as well as machine parts for her cleaning robot, headbands, gloves for cleaning, a kit for doing her nails, and a new pillow that was fat and fluffy and she squeezed happily as they walked through the bazaar.
Both of them got new combots – which would certainly make Ikvar happy on his next check in. They were small and simple, but the little robots fluttered around their heads with the ability to respond to their voice as well as hand movements. Tanin promised to teach them how to use them later, but for now, they were just assigned as the combots new owner. Meaning they would follow them around and obey them over others. If they wanted, they could set them to ignore other people entirely.
For now, Goldie changed hers to light up pink and delighted in how it flitted about like a hummingbird, while Garnet set hers to slowly transition between white and dark red, enjoying all the colors in between while it followed her with a more smooth, flowing motion.
Finally, with all their purchases complete, they headed back to the ship. Tanin and Trove were carrying the bulk of their bags – the stiff paper-like material surprising her by how familiar it was – but Goldie and Garnet, walking side by side, each had a bag in hand as well. Mostly so they could keep pulling out their new things and exclaim over them, showing them off to each other.
And though the two of them were leading the way they weren’t actually the ones leading. Tanin and Trove stayed at their backs to make sure they kept them in sight at all times. Whenever they came to a turn, Tanin would tell them to take it or not. And if they didn’t listen, he’d pull on the ribbon she still had tied on her wrist.
That really should bother her more than it did. It might not be around her neck, but it was still obviously a leash.
But it didn’t bother her, because it didn’t feel like one. She didn’t get the feeling that he was tying her to him, preventing her from getting away, like an overly excited pet or an errant child. This wasn’t him maintaining control over her.
It was more like he was still gently holding her hand. Guiding her along with him. Making suggestions of where she should go. She could choose to listen, to ignore, to pull away if she liked. It wasn’t a leash or collar around her. It was a ribbon, soft and silky, tied in a loose bow. It wouldn’t be hard at all for her to pull it loose and get free.
And that was the real difference. A leash was hard and harsh and immovable. Something that declared he was controlling her, that he owned her to some degree.
This ribbon, bright red and silken, was tied so loosely, she could probably slip her hand out without even pulling on the trailing end if she wanted. It was his weapon, but it was still just a pretty ribbon. In that sense, it almost felt more protective.
Tanin wasn’t the type to declare his ownership over her wants. To demand her submission without her agreement. To need to control her out of some need to just be controlling. He wouldn’t force her to obey him. He gave her his demands in return for hers and let her choose if she would.
But if shedidchoose to stay with him, he had rules for her to follow. Rules for her safety. For the safety of the ship. And part of belonging to him was receiving his care. His sense of responsibility. He was going to make sure she was safe. And that was the purpose of the ribbon.
And in light of knowing that, she kind of loved it.
She didn’t recognize a single turn or lane until they were suddenly back in front of the airtight doors that opened into the tunnel back to the Humility. She smiled at seeing them, excited to go back to their room and put her new pillow on the bed.
Most of her purchases were small. Half of them were for her job. But she was excited to use everything. To set them up.
As Tanin was entering the code to open the door – a security feature – from above, Sorbet and Tebros suddenly jumped down. Goldie started when they landed beside them, but Garnet smiled, waving brightly.
Just like Tanin said. They’d been there the whole time. Protecting them. Looking out for them from afar.
Moving in unison, Sorbet and Tebros took the bags that Goldie and Garnet were carrying, relieving them of even that small burden. Neither of them reacted, even when they thanked them. But they guarded the entrance as Tanin stepped back, letting Trove go in first. He was smiling, but he had his free hand on his hip, holding his gun. Checking the tunnel to make sure that no one had gotten in, bypassing the security code. Only once he called that it was clear did Tanin let her and Goldie go in. He followed after, Sorbet and Tebros carrying up the rear.
The two of them were sandwiched between everyone. Safely escorted all the way through. And though they had just joined, Garnet already felt like part of the crew.
Chapter 19
Tanin
