The boy looked up at the outstretched hand and the gentle smile accompanying it. It was coy and playful. The mirth radiated from her like an invisible halo, filling their surroundings with a sheen of soft rose. How could he not match her joy? Grasping her hand, he pulled himself up and dusted his battered overalls.

“Hello, Miss Adia.” He gave a short bow, at eases despite its formality. “Silas.”

Adia raised her eyebrow at this. He bore the standard posture of the Argan nobility, wearing the formality of their setting with ease. He carried himself well, as expected. Silas.

“Hello, Mr. Silas.”

“Please call me Silas, simply.”

“Well, we must insist you call us as casually. My cousin goes by Day, and I like to answer to Cesko.” Chechko had to interject knowing how his cousin could go on for hours fighting politeness with civility. He ran his fingers over his long straight hair, untangling knots woven in by the frantic struggle moments past. His face was ruddy from the laughter, yet his lips seemed to be set in perpetual indifference.

“I don’t really have a nickname. My family and friends just call me Silas.”

“Oh, that won’t work.” Day was shorter than Silas, reaching only his shoulder, yet her presence made allowed her to almost engulf the room. She had her arms crossed, her long sheer sleeves trailing up to her hips. “You must have a casual name! It is simply proper.”

“It’s alright, really.”

“Don’t try and stop her, Mr. Silas. No one can dissuade her once she set her mind to it.”

“I mean,” she started pacing now, the thick heels of her shoes clacking loudly on the marble floors,” terms of endearment are important especially because we are not yet of age. It proves that we are treasured. We must think of something!”

“My family never really –” he paused, lips curling as if remembering something particularly sour.

Chechko could not help tugging at his cousin’s skirt to stop her. He knew she said something, touched something, that should not have been mentioned by the way the boy grew silent and his shoulders curving in.

“Oh,” she paused. His eyes seemed tinged with the softest pink while the deeply carved frown made him look particularly pitiful. “Fuck,” she reached over to take his hand in hers.

He was a strange boy and they just met. Still, she knew that look. It was the look of someone who could not escape demons from the pit of loneliness. He shared the look some of the children back on their home star wore whenever they were given something they’d never thought they had any right to. This was the face of wounded children, too scared to dream. It was a painful thing to look at, it made you rage and highlighted the supreme helplessness. She remembered how the matrons would fold those children into their arms whenever they made that face. At one time, she, too, had been held by a matron against her chest and soothed.

She used her knuckles to rub the back of Silas’ palm. “Do you want a treasured name?” she whispered.

He nodded. “Yes, I think I would like one.”

At least he could leave that dark place by himself, that made him stronger than so many others. “Well, we’ll think of one, yes?”

“Mhm,” Cesko answered as he stood up. “We have the time,” he linked up hands with the two.

“Yes,” Silas replied with a smile.  Strangely, he felt comfortable with the kindness the two people showed him. It was not ostentatious nor was it the kind of cloying looks of pity he despised from those who knew of his experiences. They did not look at him with self-righteous superiority of a well-loved life. Instead, they seemed to reach out to him casually with ease and compassion. It felt good. 

“Alright, big kids,” Adia cried out cheerfully,” let’s eat.”

“Ah, yes,” Silas looked at the small interface of his holo-screen. “I should probably leave you ---”

“Uhuh, what? Are you saying you’re not eating with us?”

“You’re being too pushy, Day! He must have his own plans.”

“Do you have any plans for lunch, boy?”

Such an autoreactive tone was too funny coming from someone dressed as cutely as her. The two furry pink puffs holding her pigtails shaking as she tried to look down her nose at the two young men, granted that they were both taller than her even with her platforms on. He did not know why their presence made him so at ease, yet he was more than willing to accept their kindness.

“No.”

“That’s set, then.”

“Wait a minute,” Cesko pulled away form them to walk to the  bathroom to try and fix his hair. He preened and prodded, flattening the wrinkles on his clothes with his palm. Beside him, Day took to posing in front of the mirror, pushing him aside every now and then. Silas could only watch from the bed, laughing at their antics.

“God,” Chechko, finally, broke,” why can’t you leave me be?”

Day leaned forward, standing on her heel with her hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes were crescents and her lips pursed cutely. “Because I wuvuh you.”

Chechko kicked her. “You’re a fucking menace, you know that?”

“I know,” she dodged before running to the door. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

“Okay,” Silas stood up, walking towards her, his hands in his pockets. “Let’s go an eat!”

“Ugh, you’re already siding with her.”

“Well, I’m hungry.”

“If I look ugly, both of you are getting it.”

­­----

“I want that, that, and –” the holographic menu glowed a light amber, lighting the tender faces of the three teenagers at the table,” this one.”

Leaning over the menu, Chechko, clicked at four menu items before turning to Silas who was just leaning back on his chair and staring outside the window. “If you don’t pick, we might not be able to eat anything this time.”

“I trust you guys,” he said with a smile. He kept his hands on his lap, his head tilted back.

“Oh,” Cesko leaned over the table, his hands folded,” are you fully vaccinated? Ensured? Do you have a medical card?”

Day looked up from the menu to elbow her cousin. “Don’t scare him.”

“Does it matter if I am fully ensured?”

“My cousin-sister is adventurous in all things including with food. You must be ready for anything.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad!”

“Sure!” Despite positively responding to his cousin’s protests, he tried to mouth ‘B A D’ to the boy in sitting across from them.

“Besides, this is the best,” she paused at the last word for emphasis,” place to eat here. It’s on all the culinary websites.”

“Mhm,” Silas pulled up the holographic menu and ordered a few familiar dishes.

“You said you trusted me!” Day whined.

“I just wanted to share some of my favorite food,” he answered smartly.

Sneakily, Cesko raised a thumb at his direction. Silas’ grin grew. When he’d first saw his dormmate, he was looking out the large window, back to the door. The tall silhouette blurred by the soft light of the large sun-star of the planet. An unreachable mountain, straight and majestic; the kind of person he’d expected to look down at the battered clothes he wore and cringe at the dirt stuck beneath his fingertips. He even groaned to himself softly. Meeting him, he found that the elegant youth before him was far gentler and funnier than his first impression let on. Despite how he dressed chicly, he was ready to laugh loudly, play around gaily, and live freely. He felt like he could let his guard down between him, with them.

Day nodded, seemingly convinced. “Sounds like a plan, we’re set!” She slapped at the interface on the table, shutting down all other open menus.

“Wait! What about the drinks?”

“It’s good.”

“Are you sure?”

“If I say we’re good, we’re good. Why does Silas trust me but not you? You’re supposed to be my number one supporter.”

 Cesko snorted loudly, folding his arms across his chest as he laid back on the chair. With his chin raised, he ground out the following words: “Please. Silas did not get bedridden for four days during our trip over because of some shady drink order.”

“It was good!”

“Ha, what good? What good? You got it from a strange old lady from a resource planet we passed by.”

“She was legit.”

“Sure. Sure, a legitimate chef? Would a legitimate chef sell drinks form a small slit in her window? Would a legitimate chef sell drink in battered steel cups you have to return to her after drinking?”

“It’s called being sustainable, bubby.”

Cesko made a loud hacking sound as he turned his whole body away from his cousin. Both were preparing to retort again before they were stopped by the loud guffaws from across the table.

Silas laid his head on the tabletop, his chest heaving as he laughed at the sheer absurdity of the two cousins. Tears hung at the edge of his eyes as he tried to suppress the laughter echoing in his head.

“God,” he squeezed,” you two have such a close relationship.”

“Huh?” As if proving how close they were, the cousins simultaneously made a disapproving grunt before shoving each other.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Bee—

“Oh, shut up.” Cesko turned off the meal delivery alert, signaling the serving-bots to send in the food. The automatic doors drew back, letting the light from the hallway enter the room and filing their private corner with the echoing beat of the music form the main hall. Two robots with large silver bodies hovered inside, the sound of their magnetic plates humming. In their open chests were three tiers of open notches where the food was placed. They both silently approached the table before bowing in sync and laying out the food before stepping back.

The one in front, with a large number ‘one’ carved into the front cover of its head, began to introduce the food,” Starting from the left we have the ---”

“Code 7-6-9-0-0.”

“Introduction override. Please give instructions, dear customers.”

“You can leave. We will call for you, if needed. Thank you.”

“You are most welcome, dear customer.”

The two robots spun their heads around before exiting the room. The door closed behind them with a gentle swoosh.

“Are you not curious of the food?”

“Nah,” Day started to wipe the chopsticks in front of her and hand out the small plates to her companions. “Tasting blind is definitely the best way.”

“I checked none of the food has anything particular about the way we have to eat.”

“There’re things like that?” Silas never knew that food culture could be so deep or dangerous.

“Yeah, this one place Day took me to have a taboo about how certain herbs could be eaten.”

“And did you follow the recommended pattern?”

Cesko started pulling out pieces of meat from a plate on the far-left side, steering clear from the four plates that were presented to his cousin. “She overrode the serving-bot’s system and we ended up having to get drips after vomiting for over three hours.”

“It was worth it. Their flower dishes were so good.” Day had on thin gloves she took from the space in her holo-band. “We should definitely take you there.”

She reached for a covered dish, the only one left covered, and revealed a large slimy squirming mass of flesh wedged between two shells. The smell of salt and mud flooded the room, making the two boys put down their utensils.

“Woah, it looks so good.”

Silas was petrified. The only thing that shook him from his stupor was the sharp kick he felt from a prominent leather shoe. Cesko reached over and stuffed his hand with three round pills before making a discreet gesture to drink. He’s the expert here, he decided to himself before downing the pills without so much as a complaint or inquiry about what they did. Immediately, the smell from the squirming plate was washed from his nostrils. He could breathe! He never felt more thankful for those two holes in the middle of his face as he did right now.

The petite girl took a small knife from the side of the plate and grabbed the hulking mass with her other hand. She began hacking it to bits and depositing her spoils onto the boys’ plates, it oozed a slippery pink liquid from the parts she’d so violently torn. They watched in horror as she shoved her finger into its recess before she ripped the mass from its shell. “What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me to feed you?”