001. Make Your Own Way, Pt. 1
Three days in port seemed like so much when they'd touched down. Three days, one of which Violet was planning to restock on servos, get some new pencils and another box of drafting paper, maybe something bright for Karolina. The girl - Karo, that is - reminded her in some ways of what Violet had taken to thinking of as The Old Days. Days filled with sunshine and cooking lessons and piano (which Violet was dreadful at, to tell the truth) and nothing but workshops and tools for Violet and books for Klaus.
It'd been a long time since Violet had even thought about them, but there was something about Karo that just made the corners of Violet's mouth turn up (something rare in and of itself.) That's why she was in the shopping district, her mouth screwed to one side as she peered in the dusty window. She had time, but she didn't want to waste it - she'd already been in three stores that were gaudy instead of pretty, and Violet was reminded yet again that this - this Shopping Thing was something that she did with Karo for this very reason. She didn't actually know how to just magically know where the stores are the way she and Nico seemed too.
Violet was engrossed enough in the window (was that a bright yellow scarf, or was it a belt? Did Karo even wear belts?) that she didn't even brace herself when someone slammed into her. "Hey!" She'd ended up pressed against the glass facefirst, and by the time she'd caught herself, whoever'd run into her was long gone. "I knew that people here were rude, but come on." She shook her head, and ended up looking back in the window to realise that the scarf-belt was gone.
Great.
---
The contents of Violet's bag lay strewn on her blanket (a cheerful blue that she'd been talked into by Kaylee and Karo - honestly, she thought that they planned to gang up on her, and bring more color into her life.) Four receipts, two pieces of string, a pin, three screws, three nails, her wallet, a piece of industrial adhesive putty, a small multi-kit, a pair of tweezers, a clamp, and one envelope labeled very neatly.
She'd been looking for the putty.
Violet sat heavily on her bunk, her brows knitting as she delicately picked up the envelope, sliding a nail under the flap to pry it open.
---
Knocking. She knew she had to do it, that if she just vanished they'd assume that she was taken or worse, and maybe some of them wouldn't care but she'd thought - if she'd actually stop and ever thought about it, she'd assume that Bert would care. Captain Bert, she reminded herself.
He was probably the closest thing she had to a best friend, anymore.
Which, somehow, made this even more complicated, even without everything else (everything else? Nothing else.) That's why she took a deep breath, lifted, her chin, and knocked on his cabin door.
It'd been a long time since Violet had even thought about them, but there was something about Karo that just made the corners of Violet's mouth turn up (something rare in and of itself.) That's why she was in the shopping district, her mouth screwed to one side as she peered in the dusty window. She had time, but she didn't want to waste it - she'd already been in three stores that were gaudy instead of pretty, and Violet was reminded yet again that this - this Shopping Thing was something that she did with Karo for this very reason. She didn't actually know how to just magically know where the stores are the way she and Nico seemed too.
Violet was engrossed enough in the window (was that a bright yellow scarf, or was it a belt? Did Karo even wear belts?) that she didn't even brace herself when someone slammed into her. "Hey!" She'd ended up pressed against the glass facefirst, and by the time she'd caught herself, whoever'd run into her was long gone. "I knew that people here were rude, but come on." She shook her head, and ended up looking back in the window to realise that the scarf-belt was gone.
Great.
---
The contents of Violet's bag lay strewn on her blanket (a cheerful blue that she'd been talked into by Kaylee and Karo - honestly, she thought that they planned to gang up on her, and bring more color into her life.) Four receipts, two pieces of string, a pin, three screws, three nails, her wallet, a piece of industrial adhesive putty, a small multi-kit, a pair of tweezers, a clamp, and one envelope labeled very neatly.
She'd been looking for the putty.
Violet sat heavily on her bunk, her brows knitting as she delicately picked up the envelope, sliding a nail under the flap to pry it open.
---
Knocking. She knew she had to do it, that if she just vanished they'd assume that she was taken or worse, and maybe some of them wouldn't care but she'd thought - if she'd actually stop and ever thought about it, she'd assume that Bert would care. Captain Bert, she reminded herself.
He was probably the closest thing she had to a best friend, anymore.
Which, somehow, made this even more complicated, even without everything else (everything else? Nothing else.) That's why she took a deep breath, lifted, her chin, and knocked on his cabin door.