“Aster!” A chipper voice called from the entrance undenounced to the pair who were enthusiastically typing away at the keyboard.

“So, you are supposed to keep your fingers like this on what we call the home row,” Aster explained to Luna, who rapidly nodded her head.

“Aster!” The voice repeated.

“And to make it fun, you can compete against other people to become the fastest typist.” His arms were snaked around her, fingers flying between keys. Luna’s exuberant eyes shimmered at the sight, jittering for her own test.

“107 words per minute, seems I’m still a bit rusty from my college nights of five-pages before midnight.” He joked.

“Me, now!” Luna cheered impatient for how she would perform. Aster hit refresh on the page and moved his hands away for Luna to lay hers down.

“Once you hit the first key, the timer will start. Don’t feel discouraged by mistakes and do your best.” He supported the not listening child who was already typing away. She was making numerous spelling errors and was instead hunting and pecking instead of touch typing, but that was all to be expected.

“Aster!” The door was opened and in walked a blondette with eyes more blue than grey. Her cheeks stained a grapefruit pink, her thin lips a similar tone but a hint more purple. Unable to ignore any longer he turned his head and waved at the visitor.

He held a finger up to her and mouthed, “One moment,”

“15 words per minute, that is great!” He announced proud but Luna was not content with the outcome, so she immediately went a second time. Luna was a person with single-minded interested, hyper-focused on one task after another.

“Remember to keep your fingers on the home row, you will be slower to start, but it's best you get used to it now.” He reminded after she finished her second test, 17wpm.

“It’s tough,” Luna pouted, unable to individually move each finger from the keys.

“I know it is. How about you try a website and learn how it works while I entertain our visitor?” Aster raised the chair before he placed Luna on top of it.

“Will I become faster than you?” She questioned

“With enough time put in, absolutely.” He rubbed her head as guided her to the training site as he moved off to the side to converse with the guest.

“Hey Marlena, thanks for rushing over.”

“It’s no trouble,” Marnie responded followed by a pause as she took in the stubborn-faced Luna who was tenaciously learning to type. “I can see why Kelly gushed over her. She is adorable.”

“She looks fresh out a painting. I do inquire for a second favor. I need you to take her shopping for clothes. I can barely match jeans and a t-shirt, let alone plan a wardrobe.”

“I expected as much. I’m willing to do it, so long as you are willing to repay the favor.” Her lips curled into a sinister smirk.

“You want the Porsche.” She always wanted the Porsche. For a while, he slept with the key after she took the car for a joyride.

“One day with her in exchange for me taking Luna shopping for clothes.” She offered.

“One day and you return her without a scratch.” Aster was stern with his baby, it was the first car he ever bought. He painstakingly rescued her from a lawn ornament, working for months to restore her with original parts.  

“I would never hurt her. Kelly would kill me.” The only person to care more for that Porsche was Kelly.

“I did it!” Luna exclaimed in the background as she finished lesson one without errors.

“Amazing!” Aster responded with like-kind joy. He turned back to Marly and stated, “We’ll finish up here and then we can head out.”

She shooed him back to the child and took a seat on her bed to watch.

“We need to get going regretfully but before we part, I’ll impart Aster’s three laws to writing. Firstly, the most important aspect to writing any story is the admission from the author they made a mistake. Secondly, your characters are limited by you, the author. Thirdly, and finally, you’ll compare yourself to every story you ever read, critique every nuance to TV shows and egotistically believe you can do better in your sleep. Embrace that ego, because when you do, you’ll find it being your name in the credits.” Aster closed off his stream with this concluding monologue.

“Narcissist,” Marlena playfully jabbed.

“Okay, Luna, this is Marlena, a friend of the beast from this morning.” Aster introduced while he turned the office chair to face the bed.

“Kelly,” Luna corrected.

“That’s correct, the creature.” Aster nodded in agreement, intentionally ignorant of the difference.

“Aster is being mean,” Luna cried not understanding his teases to be jokes.

“He is always mean. He is a big fat meanie face. You know how to get him to stop being a big bully?” Marnie leaned over to be closer as she whispered into Luna’s ear.

Luna tilted her head up, her big doe eyes locked with Aster’s bright pair, “Aster, do you tease Kelly because you have feelings for her?” Luna robotically parroted the words whispered to her.

“Now where could you ever get such an idea? The one person I have feelings for is the blond at your ear.” Aster winked and flirtatiously smirked at the narrow-eyed Marlena who continued to whisper in Luna’s ear.

“Playboy?” Luna hadn’t heard the word before.

“Just her way of insulting me, similar to me calling Kelly a beast.”

“Marlena is a bully?” Luna recoiled at the revelation.

“She is a big fat meanie face.” Aster tried to replicate Marlena’s childish voice when she said a similar retort.

“Big fat meanie face!” Luna pointed in shock, as she felt betrayed on what to believe.

“Wait, wait I can make it up to you.” Marly was quick to adapt to the situation as she begged for mercy.

“Don’t listen to her pleas M’lady. She is unable to change her bullying ways.” Aster insisted, doing his best to hide his smile.

“I will give you candy.” She bribed with trembling eyes and downcast glances her voice cracking and weak perfectly masking any laugh beneath it. Marlena was accustomed to acting as voice acting was a long-time hobby of hers.

“Candy?” Luna perked up at the offer, as any young child would.

“You don’t need any candy, you are getting ice cream.” Aster reminded.

“You can put the candy in the ice cream.”

“Candy and ice cream…” Luna was lost in thought at the idea, of sugar being mixed with even more sugar. It sounded it wonderful. “Yes. Forgiven!” She took the outstretched hand of the blond and rapidly shook hands.

“Yay!”

“This is going to be a long day…” Aster grumbled to himself.

Bronzeapollo

I apologize for the short chapter today. Memorial day so had every little time to write. As appeasement, I will try to have Thursday's chapter be 2k to 3k words. Thank you all for reading.