I was right. Llywelyn does argue that it proves she doesn't feel bad about being told no.
I don't know if he's right, but he's Llywelyn and he's always right to himself. Especially about Mira. Especially if I go and try to fight him about it. He's a stubborn ass like that.
A stubborn assfish, I believe I said once, and was informed that Constant couldn't be bothered to translate that for me.
My lips quirk up faintly at the memory.
What a stupid memory to remember.
We walk to another hall, where Mira is peering into a display. She's making some kind of noise I've never heard before, a high pitched squeaking sound.
She stops when we approach her. "Llywelyn! Sarah! What is this?!" She points to an object in the display. I can't see what she's pointing at, though. The display is tall, wide, and has many things inside.
It could be any number of things in it, or all of it.
"What?"
"This! This thing! It's so small and cute and it looks like me!" She says, tapping on the forcefield over the display.
Llywelyn squints, his hand coming up to shield his eyes from the shine of the lights. "I... think you mean this?" He points to an object near the bottom of the display. It looks like... a tiny crystal statue of a person. A very abstract, simplified person. But still. It's a person. In a flowing dress, maybe, with some kind of... ornament on top of their head. Their hands are outstretched. It looks like a child's rendition of a ballerina.
Honestly, it's not something I'd ever give much attention to. I'm no expert, but even I would consider that craftmanship pretty crude, and the gem person itself is so small that I doubt it'd be expensive unless it's some kind of especially rare rock.
As it is, it's just purple.
Which makes it very not like her at all, other than a vague rock origin.
"A little little little me! Can I have it?" She asks, spinning around to face us, her eyes wide.
"No." Llywelyn answers immediately, his face flat. "This is a museum you empty headed-pebble. Not a shop. There's nothing here for sale. You cannot have any of this. It's all priceless."
Mira gasps. "I knew it! It's pretty! And rare! So rare! Just like me!"
Llywelyn rolls his eyes and turns around, walking away. "I'm done. I'm going to be outside. Come find me when you're ready to leave."
I grab his sleeve.
He stares at me with the most dramatically longsuffering look I've seen from him in a while.
"Llywelyn." I murmur.
"Woman, no." He hisses. "I am still on vacation, I should not have to put up with her."
"So you'd make me do it all alone?"
He jabs my chest. "You like her."
"I happen to like you a lot." I lean forward. "And you promised me you'd join me and Mira."
He squints at me. "No, I said I'd join YOU. Mira just... just came along!"
"I'm still here."
He stutters a moment. His veins flare, and he scowls. "I begin to despise you."
I smile sweetly. "Liar."
He clicks his tongue. "Just... fine. Fine. But if she breaks anything else, I'm leaving. Unless it's herself. Then I'll carry her back in my wallet." He huffs, and glances over at Mira, who is still staring in wonder at the gem person. "She's still just staring at it."
"That is what you do in a museum. It's why you go." I point out.
"You don't just stare." He grumbles, but doesn't move to leave again. "They have little informational plaques. And things you're meant to interact with."
"Oh? I hadn't noticed."
"Of course not." He sighs, and looks around. "Like I said, though. It's not designed with Kolumer in mind. Nor humans." He murmurs, and then looks back at the little crystal person. "Kolumer are too sturdy for most of the forcefields. in this place,. There's places humans might find difficult to breathe here too, as they can't adjust their needs. This was not designed to be very... adaptable, I suppose." He tilts his head. "But then again, it's about as rare as seeing a kolumer here to see a human anywhere just wandering. Can't prepare for everything."
I purse my lips.
I don't feel like some kind of a rarity.
Humans... aren't rarely slave at all, though. I know that there's lots of us who get stolen from earth just like me. And almost all are processed and Conditioned. So they should be everywhere.
Yet...
I can't think of any human slaves I've seen since I found myself on Xilukulkas' moon. None of the visitors or residents except me.
I don't see them at all.
I swallow down the bubbling question I don't want to answer.
Now isn't the time to worry about what happens to them.
Not right now.
Now...
Is the time to stop our Kolumer friend from knocking down a base that is decidedly bigger than she is.
Her back is turned to us, but her arms are spread wide and her fingers are splayed out against the forcefield.
I can't tell if she's just trying to absorb the shine of it like a kid pressed against glass or if she's about to push against it and crash unceremoniously into the vase. Neither is particularly great.
"Hey, hey, hey—" I hurry over, and she looks at me as I reach her. "Careful! You're going to break something!"
"Oh, Sarah! I just wanted to look closer. This is so pretty!" She beams. "I want to take it home! Can we take it home?"
I smile gently. "We can't. Remember? But there are plenty of shiny things at home. We can find them there." I glance over at Llywelyn. "Right?"
He hums, a noncommittal sound. "I suppose. Depends on how you define 'shiny'."
I roll my eyes . "Unhelpful assfish..."
He makes no sign that he heard me at all.
But I'm quite sure he did.